On 21 October 1629, near the border with Switzerland, the Osservatore fiorentino from Milan wrote to Florence reporting that a captain from Lecco had arrived in a hurry to inform that "a plague had been ascertained virulent." In the absence of knowledge about the plague, or any way to prevent it, they placed all matters relating to public health in the hands of the guards who would naturally be the first line of defense. However, after laborious trial and error, Florence and Tuscany experienced deaths of enormous proportions. In the 17th century the Italian economy entered a long recession. Trade and industry declined, Italian agriculture stagnated, and poverty and banditry increased. Meanwhile, Italy was struck by the plague. One of the most advanced parts of Italy had fallen into disgrace. Interestingly, this situation is quite similar to the American recession of 2008. In both cases, government leaders implemented solutions that helped improve the quality of life of their citizens, while strengthening the relationship between an individual and their appropriation of assets. Public health: an unraveling fabric In addition to the sudden epidemic, it was widely believed that the incidence of the plague was much greater among the lower classes than among the upper classes. In conjunction with any overcrowded or unsanitary conditions, this is logical since despite the “more delicate and tender” characteristics of the nobility, they were free to flee and could afford remedies inaccessible to the common man. Given the lack of knowledge about vaccinations, the establishment of health "cordons" was the first "preventive measure that could be used in addition to prayers and processions". Despite the limited remains of a once fertile population, the government has attempted to r...... middle of paper ......Giulia. Stories of a year of plague: the social and the imaginary in Baroque Florence. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1989. Print.Cipolla, Carlo M.. Before the Industrial Revolution: European Society and Economy, 1000-1700. New York: Norton, 1976. Print. Cipolla, Carlo M.. Cristofano and the plague; a study on the history of public health in the age of Galileo. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1973. Print.Fletcher, Robert. A tragedy of the great plague of Milan of 1630. Italy: The Lord Baltimore Press, 1898. Print.Kleiner, Fred S. and Helen Gardner. Gardner's Art Through the Ages: A Global History. 13th ed. Boston, MA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2009. Print.Labarge, Margaret Wade. 13th century baronial house. Brighton: Harvester, 1980. Print.Pollitzer, R.. Plague. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1954. Print.