Christine de Pizan, also spelled Pisan (1364?-1420?), was a French author who wrote important works in both prose and verse. She became known for her eloquent writings defending women. Many of her books reflect her scholarly knowledge of ancient and medieval writers and literary styles and her concern for France’s political problems.
During Christine’s time, male writers often made women the subject of ridicule and satire. Christine wrote The Book of the City of Ladies (1405), a prose work that celebrated the virtues of women and defended them against accusations that the female sex was vain and deceitful. She wrote a sequel called The Book of the Three Virtues (1405). The books rank among the major early feminist documents in Western literature. She also wrote a defense of women in verse called Letter to the God of Loves (1399).
Christine’s other major works included graceful love lyrics, philosophical poems, and a glorification of Joan of Arc. She also wrote a biography of France’s King Charles V and the autobiographical Christine’s Vision (1405).
Christine was born in Venice, Italy. Her father was the astrologer and medical adviser to King Charles V, and she spent her early years in the French court in Paris. Her husband died in 1390 and left her with three children. She turned to writing to support herself, becoming one of the first women since ancient times to earn a living through literature. For safety during the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453), a series of wars between France and England, she entered a nunnery in 1418 but continued to write.
