Italy, Famine, war, and plague (1340–80)

Italy's thriving economy was shortly to meet severe challenges. Among these, first, were famines, which affected most of Italy in the years 1339–40, 1346–47, 1352–53, and 1374–75, and to these catastrophes were added a general expansion and intensification of war. The 13th century saw the diffusion of the crossbow, whose bolt far surpassed the arrow of the longbow in its power to penetrate. The crossbow