MAP 13.1 Advance of the Black Death, 1346–1353
Hitting the Mediterranean area first, the Black Death quickly worked its way northward, generally following waterways and roads. With the exception of a few regions that were spared, it killed between one-third and one-half of the population of western Europe. However, in eastern Europe its impact was far less. The plague recurred—at first every ten to twelve years and then at longer intervals.