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Abstract: This article surveys the impact of the plague of 1656-1657 upon the production of art and architecture in Rome. It begins with a note of the individual artists, artists' families, and patrons who were struck by the disease, followed by an explanation of why all of Rome’s most noteworthy artists and architects survived the calamity. Next, the artworks carried out during the plague years are discussed with particular attention to issues of iconography, patronage, and their function within the religious cult-itself drastically impacted by the epidemic. These include works by Pietro da Cortona, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Carlo Rainaldi, Nicolas Poussin, and Giacinto Brandi. Finally, the cancellation of a monument to the plague victims at the Pyramid of Caius Cestius is related to scientihc theories of contagion.