Christine de Pizan (1364-1430), kobieta sukcesu w średniowiecznej Francji

Christine de Pizan (1364-1430) was a medieval French writer and the first female historian. Her role in the literary world was essential because she decided to take a place reserved for men before, and she became a writer. As the first woman in French history to edit philosophical and political works, she often criticised the attitudes of the noblemen to the reality of the devastating Hundred Years’ War and called for an end to destructive fighting. The vital part of her enormous literary heritage is constituted by polemical and moralistic works dealing with inequality and injustice, especially towards women. She was an active fighter for women’s good in times of misogyny. She had the courage to claim that women’s intellectual inequality did not stem from their nature but from a lack of education. Her arguments against the famous Roman de la Rose were particularly strong. She pointed out how harmful it was to repeat common stereotypes about women, especially referring to those unfairly presented in literature. Considering how hard it was, she had a successful carrier, making writing her source of income which allowed her and her family to prosper. Christine became a spokeswoman for difficult issues, from the unequal struggle for restoring women’s dignity, through calling for a wise government, to advising rulers how to rule wisely. She was a female voice for defending her motherland but also for defending women in the world governed by men.