During the spread of the Black Death in the mid-fourteenth century, people in rural areas suffered much less than did urban dwellers.
The Black Death, also known as the bubonic plague, was a devastating pandemic that spread throughout Europe in the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in Central Asia and was transmitted by fleas that lived on rats. The disease was highly contagious and had a high mortality rate, killing an estimated 75-200 million people in Europe alone.
During this time, cities and towns were particularly hard hit by the plague because they had higher population densities and more crowded living conditions, which facilitated the spread of the disease. In contrast, rural areas were less affected because they had lower population densities and more open space, which made it more difficult for the disease to spread.
The pope at Avignon did not proclaim that the end of the world had arrived during the Black Death. In fact, the pope at the time, Clement VI, issued a papal bull in 1348 condemning the flagellants, a group of people who believed that the plague was a punishment from God and that they could atone for their sins by whipping themselves in public.
Medical doctors were not urging cities to install sanitary systems during the Black Death. In fact, there was little understanding at the time of how the disease was transmitted, and many people believed that it was caused by bad air or by the alignment of the planets.
Wages of agrarian workers did not drop severely during the Black Death. In fact, the plague had the opposite effect on wages, as the high mortality rate created a labor shortage, which drove up wages for those who were still alive.