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Now is a good time to share a story I found in the Museum of Marseille. In the early 18th century, Marseille was France& #39;s gateway to the the orient - a fast-growing bustling port. 1/8
Plagues were common in that era, & news would spread across the Med about which cities were infected. But Marseille port authorities had a pretty good system - they would bar entry to the port for any ship that either came from an infected city, or showed signs of disease. 2/8
Those quarantined crews would have to go to the nearby hosptial islands of Frioul or Jarre, and wait out until they were proven to be disease-free. Frioul is beautiful (and now plague-free), by the way. 3/8
In 1719 the Grand-Saint-Antoine, a merchant ship, sets out to the Middle East to bring back silk to trade in Marseille. However, Damascus was by this point in the grips of a plague and the crew became infected. On the journey back, 9 die. The captain must decide what to do. 4/8
Captain Chataud stops near Toulon (50km from Marseille), to discuss plans with the venture& #39;s other stakeholders, who stand to lose enormous sums of money if the ships contents aren& #39;t traded. After a brief foray to Italy (where theyre refused entry), the ship heads to Marseille. 5
Somehow, the captain obtains access to the port from the health authorities & offloads its precious cargo. Eventually, after illness spreads to sailors & porters, the ship is banished to quarantine. But it is too late - Marseille has the plague. By 1721, half of the city will die
So how could an infected ship dock? Well, the captain hid the illness. But also, Marseille& #39;s mayor held a major share in the venture. He pressured the health authorities to not apply the rules. By electing someone who put personal profit before public health, 100,000 died. 7/8
So: let& #39;s not let croneyism & capitalism throw us under the bus for profit this time. #COVID19
My main source is memories from @musee_histoire in Marseille (worth a visit), but the wikipedia page on the Great Plague of Marseille is also worth reading: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peste_de_Marseille_(1720)">https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pest... 8/8
My main source is memories from @musee_histoire in Marseille (worth a visit), but the wikipedia page on the Great Plague of Marseille is also worth reading: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peste_de_Marseille_(1720)">https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pest... 8/8
Addendum:
Captain Chataud served 3 years on Chateau d& #39;If (Marseille& #39;s island-prison made famous in the Count of Monte Cristo).
Jean-Baptiste Estelle, mayor of Marseille and a member of the aristocracy, was not convicted, and was made a lord by the King in 1723.
#AuxArmesCitoyens
Captain Chataud served 3 years on Chateau d& #39;If (Marseille& #39;s island-prison made famous in the Count of Monte Cristo).
Jean-Baptiste Estelle, mayor of Marseille and a member of the aristocracy, was not convicted, and was made a lord by the King in 1723.
#AuxArmesCitoyens
