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paper on state sanitary policies in according to the specific economic,
the Kingdom of Naples, highlights the social and political circumstances at
complications which public health in- that time, rather than rigidly adopting
stitutions had on the same social existing quarantine models. Dell’Osa
order and political economy which continues to provide evidence of how
they were intended to protect, espe- these public health institutions, im-
cially when sanitary measures – as plementing measures in flexible ways,
quarantine – led to the disruption of became sites of negotiation, not only
food supplies. State authorities had with regard to the taking of sanitary
always to keep this (and a range of decisions but also on matters shaping
other negative consequences) in mind the state’s relations with neighbouring
before enacting sanitary laws and cities and ports. Danilo Pedemonte
specifically when implementing port reaches similar conclusions in his
th
quarantine. Another author, Idamaria study on Genoa during the 18 cen-
Fusco, similarly to Salvemini, shows tury, showing how health institutions
how this was the case in the Kingdom were consistently utilised by the au-
of Naples first during the plague of thorities as instruments for the in-
1656 and 1690 and secondly during termediation and the projection of
the “emergenze sanitarie” of the 18 th state politics in the region.
century. She demonstrates that it was Matteo di Figlia’s investigation of
accepted that the greatest threat of the Palermo-based Suprema Depu -
epidemics came from the sea – “la tazione di Salute – which was intended
peste giunse dal mare” – and that to control the Sicilian coast during
logically the first reaction to any news 1816-1830 – presents us with a “per-
of pestilence was the immediate manent” board of health riddled with
closure of the Kingdom’s coastal/port internal political conflicts, whilst
borders. The author argues that qua - seeking to intermediate the state’s
rantine led to the instant disruption of foreign commercial and political re-
the shipping/trade lifelines of the Regno lations. At the same time, the author
which in turn left serious economic, brings to our attention another im-
political and social consequences. portant role which the quarantine-
In the same way as Salvemini, port authorities played in maintaining
Palermo and Fusco, Dario Dell’Osa and extending regional-wide intelli-
reveals how decisions by the health gence networks. To function properly,
authorities to quarantine a coastal such a pivotal institution, and the
port were always “high risk”, involving whole sanitary system, needed to
severe disruptions to the movement keep a constant flow of information
of people and the circulation of com- coming their way on the spread of
modities with all the negative effects epidemics in the Mediterranean and
this left on the social order. Authorities beyond. It is shown how such networks
were therefore always cautious when facilitated public health/quaran tine
deciding to apply strict quarantine, measures to be taken in time as
and when this was absolutely neces- well as abetting the state’s political
sary they usually tailored measures interests in the region.

n.41 Mediterranea - ricerche storiche - Anno XIV - Dicembre 2017
ISSN 1824-3010 (stampa) ISSN 1828-230X (online)