What is “leprosy” in medieval context?

The story behind the answer

In medieval Europe, “leprosy” referred to a long-lasting infectious illness (now known as Hansen’s disease) that damaged skin and peripheral nerves, leading to numbness, ulcers, and visible deformities. Its lingering course and striking symptoms inspired dread. Though many contemporaries interpreted it as a sign of moral failing or divine anger, it is not hereditary and only mildly contagious; fear and misunderstanding amplified its stigma.

Communities often segregated sufferers in leper houses (lazarettos), sometimes run by religious orders like the Order of St. Lazarus. Patients might carry clappers or bells to warn others, and laws regulated contact and property—social consequences that felt like exile even if not a formal sentence. Many medieval “leprosy” diagnoses likely included other skin conditions. Today, it’s curable with antibiotics.