Christine de Pisan was the first known woman in medieval Europe to support herself as a professional writer

Christine de Pisan

Christine de Pisan was the first known woman in medieval Europe to support herself as a professional writer. She lived from about 1364 until about 1430.

Christine was born in Venice. Her father, a scholar, received an appointment to serve at the court of King Charles V of France when Christine was very young. Christine grew up in France, and her father saw that she received a good education. At 15, she married. When she was 25, her husband died of the plague. Her father had died a few years earlier, so Christine was left to support her three children and her mother. Her autobiography tells how she was hounded by creditors for her fatherís debts and ignored by those who owed her money. She turned to study for consolation and eventually began to write.

Christine de Pisan composed a large number of poems. She also wrote many other works, including her autobiography, a biography of King Charles V, works on history and philosophy, and a tribute to Joan of Arc. Several of her writings criticized negative attitudes toward women and the poor treatment women often received, especially when widowed.

Sources: Dictionary of the Middle Ages.Vol. 3. Scribners, 1983.

The Writings of Christine De Pizan. Selected and edited by Charity Cannon Willard. Persea Bks., 1994.

Great Lives from History. Ancient and Medieval series. Salem Press, 1988.