In the 14th century how long would it take for ships to sail from Constantinople(or Kaffa) to an Italian city?

Question

I was wondering how long it would take for merchant ships to go from Constantinople or Kaffa to an Italian city. This in regards to an investigation about the time it took to spread the plague. I am also interested in navigational times - so if you know any medieval navigational times please post them...

Answer 1

It would have been a matter of weeks depending on the winds and how handy the craft, but the plague bacillus, Yersinia Pestis, could have had a merry time passing from rat flea to rat to other rat fleas to humans all during the voyage. Infected rats carrying infected fleas would have scurried off the ships from Kaffa to Constantinople or to a number of Italian trading ports with ease. The only consolation for humans is that the rat and the rat fleas also died from the effects of the plague bacillus. The time for humans to worry most is when the rats died in large numbers. Rat fleas would prefer to bite rats, but humans would do in a pinch. Interesting project. I'll have to do some research to look for precise sailing times. That may be tricky to find.
Barbara Tuchman's "A Distant Mirror" about the history of the 14th century in Europe would be your best bet.