The Black Death

Majestic feudal kingdoms were thriving in the mid-14th century, yet catastrophe loomed: in 1348 the Plague struck Europe. No one knew how or why, only that it was spreading - fast. Killing one third of Europe's population in just three years and ravagingthe flourishing cities of Italy, France, Germany, England, and Spain, the Black Death swept across the continent at an inconceivable rate. Through chilling reenactments, interviews with experts and historians, and excerpts from original accounts, discoverthe origins, progress, and cultural repercussions of the Plague's reign of terror. Many thought it was punishment by God - others believed it was spread by contaminated air. How did some survive? Are we vulnerable to an outbreak of this proportion today?Join A&E for an exhaustive investigation of The Black Death, one of the world's most virulent epidemics.