2021, issue 46, Matteo Antonini: The year 1346, southern Crimea: the city of Cafà (today Fedosia) is under siege from the Golden Horde, a Mongolian-led empire stretching between central Asia and modern-day Ukraine. For months, the Mongols have tried to conquer the city held by the Republic of Genoa, facing both an unexpected resistance from the city’s defenders and a plague ravaging their troops.
