Del governo della peste e della maniera di guardarsene

Lodovico Antonio Muratori, a prodigious scholar who rose from modest beginnings in Vignola to become a leading librarian of the Ambrosiana, brings his wide‑ranging expertise to a pressing concern of his age. In this treatise he sets out a systematic plan for handling the dreaded plague, dividing his advice among the political, medical and ecclesiastical spheres. The opening sections introduce the historical background of past epidemics and outline the responsibilities of civic authorities, physicians and church officials.

The political portion advises city councils on quarantine measures, sanitation and the organization of aid, while the medical chapter discusses contemporary diagnostics, treatments and the role of learned physicians. The ecclesiastical part examines how clergy can tend to the spiritual needs of the afflicted without worsening contagion. A particularly valuable addition is a rare, detailed report on the 1720 plague in Marseille, offering vivid eyewitness observations that illuminate the challenges of managing a citywide disaster.