Abstract
The impetus for this article was a letter found in the Czernin family archives. It was sent from Prague, which was afflicted by a plague epidemic that year, and was addressed to Rome.
On its envelope, however, a note was left by the Venetian Magistrato di sanita, where the letter was opened and disinfected. The author briefly recounts the history (and also the etymology) of Venetian lazzaretti, the institution of quarantine (quarantana), health certificates (fedi di sanita), and the role played by the Venetian post in this system.
By the end of the 15th century, Venice had already built up a relatively comprehensive network of health information, protection and prevention, which was further refined during the great epidemics of 1577 and 1630 and then continued to function until the end of the Serenissima.