1592–1593 Malta plague epidemic

The Lazzaretto on the Isolotto (now Manoel Island), which was built in the 17th century on the site of an isolation hospital used in the 1592–1593 plague

In 1592, the Infermeria delle Schiavi of Birgu, a hospital for galley slaves which had previously housed the Sacra Infermeria before its transfer to Valletta in 1575, was converted into an isolation hospital.[8] When the epidemic was on the decline by early 1593, its patients were transferred into a private house and the temporary hospital was closed in February.[7]

After the outbreak became more severe in March, Grand Master Hugues Loubenx de Verdalle requested assistance from the Viceroy of Sicily, who sent the Pietro Parisi from Trapani, a doctor who had experience with contagious diseases.[4] Upon the latter's arrival on 15 May, he took control of dealing with the outbreak along with the Health Commissioners and the Maltese doctor Gregorio Mamo.[4] A temporary isolation hospital was set up on the island in Marsamxett Harbour known as the Isolotto (which later became known as Manoel Island).[9] 900 suspected and confirmed cases were sent there, and they were kept separate from each other. The rest of the population was told to self-isolate in their own houses, with only one person per family being allowed to go out daily for errands.[4] These measures was enforced with harsh penalties including flogging and death.[7]

Washing places near the sea were set up in Valletta, Birgu and Senglea allowing suspected cases to wash in an attempt to purify themselves and their clothes. Walls of houses with confirmed or suspected cases of the disease were washed with seawater and whitewashed with lime, and similar measures were undertaken in burial grounds.[4] In the capital, dogs were killed but cats were not, since they were seen as useful in controlling the rat population, even though at the time it was not known that rats were the cause of the disease.[7]

The epidemic began to subside by June 1593, and attempts were made to purify the island to remove any traces of the disease which might have been left. The temporary hospital was demolished in October 1593, and pratique was granted in January 1594.[7]

The death toll from the epidemic is believed to be about 3000 people, which amounted to 11% of the islands' population.[7]

A number of small villages or hamlets lost most of their populations during the epidemic, and were later abandoned or absorbed into nearby settlements.[10]

During the plague of 1592–1593, the deceased were not buried in churches but in extramural plague cemeteries which were specially set up to deal with the epidemic. This was the first recorded instance that such cemeteries were established in Malta,[11] and similar ones would also be set up in later major outbreaks of the disease, such as in 1675–1676[12] and 1813–1814.[11]