reggio emilia was stricken particularly hard by the bubonic plague from 1630 to 1632, the result of german troop movements in the war between the french and the empire. the church began its campaign against the plague on 18 april 1630, with a procession ordered by the bishop and magistrates, which featured the carrying of the right foot of mary magdalene, the head of saint maurizio, arms of s. reparata and s. catherine, and the remains of s. apollonia, s. abondonio, and s. prospero. an inscription at guastalla states that 2,104 persons had died in one parish alone. at gualtieri, by 20 march 1631, 463 out of a population of 1380 had died. inside the city of reggio, 3617 persons died of the plague, and outside the city an additional 2,130.