Christine de Pizan, the first woman in France to earn a living writing, is remembered for her words supporting women’s right to education and freedom. She was born in Venice in 1364. Her father was an astrologer to King Charles V of France and moved Christine to France as a young girl. Around age 15, Christine married a royal secretary, who supported her education and with whom she had three children. Unfortunately, her husband died of the plague 10 years later, so to support her family, Christine began writing poetry and love ballads. These pieces got the attention from patrons at court. Christine also made money by transcribing and illustrating other works. While she is considered today a great thinker on women’s equality, her work was well received in Medieval Europe because it was based on Christian virtues and morality.

One of her most popular texts was called The Book of the City of Ladies. Christine points out that women had not been written about by women in the past, and therefore their stories were unfairly represented. In the book, Christine meets three allegorical ladies named Reason, Rectitude, and Justice, who describe a city where every stone represents an important woman of achievements.

Christine took part in one of the most famous historical literary debates when she wrote The Tale of the Rose, a response to the famous Romance of the Rose by Jean de Meun, which characterized women as seducers. In her book, Christine attacks the male author’s viewpoint and questions his merit.

The last poem she wrote before her death in 1430 was Song in Honor of Joan of Arc.

Christine is featured on one of the place settings in Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party. The embroidered flame harkens back to Medieval Italy and “represents the suffocating Renaissance-era constraints of women.”