Acqua e igiene pubblica nella città medievale

In the late Middle Ages, cities had to adapt their systems of waste disposal, distribution of clean water and protection of public hygiene to the impetuous urban development, and above all to the demographic growth. This problem became more difficult by the close coexistence in the city of men with animals such as pigs, cows and horses. Medieval cities do not seem to have been able to plan any efficient and permanent cleaning structures. Temporary and partial solutions prevailed, often caused by emergencies or, in any case, by the aftermath evaluation of the problem extent. Maybe this depended on the different sensitivity of that world compared to the contemporary one in the field of hygiene. However, a very important factor was the speed of development in the centuries of the building boom (XII-XIV), which prevented a real urban planning. Nonetheless, even the indications coming from the new foundation settlements appear quite discordant. In relation to the late medieval cities, the environmental sustainability is a criterion to be fully evaluated in all its demographic and health consequences.