Maps

These maps show the amount of time it took for the plague to spread across the continent of Europe. The plague began in The Gobi Desert, a huge desert in Mongolia. The Mongols were believed to have thrown plagued bodies over the city walls of Kafa, located in what is now Ethiopia. The plague traveled along the Silk Road and other trade routes, by foot and by sea. When it reached Sicily in 1347, it spread quickly through Italy, France, Switzerland and a portion of Spain, as well as southeastern countries of Europe. From there, it rapidly spread throughout Europe in the course of four years.