About this episode

This episode discusses Fr Antanasius Kircher's contributions to understanding the bubonic plague and the concept of quarantine during the Renaissance.

Send us Fan Mail The last polymath of the renaissance era was Fr Antanasius Kircher SJ. Among his many accomplishments he was the first to look at the blood of bubonic plague victims under a microscope and to realise that the 'pestis' was contagious. He suggested Quarantine, wearing masks and burning the clothes of victims.

People in this episode

Host: Tim Byron

Topics covered

• plague
• quarantine
• history
• medicine
• Renaissance
• polymath

Keywords

• Fr Antanasius Kircher
• bubonic plague
• quarantine
• Renaissance
• polymath
• medicine
• history

More episodes of The Pearl of Great Price

• May 4 Dividing the New World between Spain and Portugal · May 3, 2026 · 8 min
• May 3 The Sign of the Beast · May 2, 2026 · 13 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Pearl of Great Price podcast page.