# Christine de Pizan

> French poet and author (1364 – c. 1430)

**Wikidata**: [Q234816](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q234816)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_de_Pizan)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/christine-de-pizan

## Summary
Christine de Pizan was an Italian-born French poet and author who lived from 1364 to approximately 1430. She is widely recognized as a pioneering philosopher and writer, best known for her work *The Book of the City of Ladies*.

## Biography
- **Born:** 1364 (specifically listed as +1363-00-00T00:00:00Z and +1364-09-11T00:00:00Z in records)
- **Died:** c. 1430
- **Nationality:** France
- **Occupations:** Writer, Poet, Translator, Philosopher
- **Fields:** Literature, Politics, Poetry
- **Known for:** Authoring *The Book of the City of Ladies* and contributing to early humanist thought.

## Contributions
Christine de Pizan produced a substantial body of literary work. Her notable contributions include:
*   **The Book of the City of Ladies:** A seminal work authored in 1405, recognized as a defense of women and a foundational text in feminist literature.
*   **Literary Output:** She produced numerous works cataloged in the source material, including *Le Livre de la Cité des Dames*, *Le Livre des trois vertus*, *L'Épître Othéa*, and various poetic and philosophical texts.
*   **Translation:** She acted as a translator, bridging languages and ideas in her literary productions.

## FAQs
**What is Christine de Pizan best known for?**
She is best known for writing *The Book of the City of Ladies* (1405), a novel that constructs an allegorical city to defend the virtues and capabilities of women.

**What was Christine de Pizan's profession?**
She was a multi-disciplinary intellectual who worked as a writer, poet, translator, and philosopher.

**What nationality was Christine de Pizan?**
She held French citizenship and is identified as a French poet and author, though she was born in Italy (Venice) and later moved to France.

**What fields did Christine de Pizan write about?**
Her work spanned the fields of literature, politics, and poetry, often exploring the human condition and the role of women in society.

## Why They Matter
Christine de Pizan matters as a foundational figure in the history of women's literature and early humanism. By authoring *The Book of the City of Ladies* in 1405, she challenged the misogynistic literary traditions of her time, establishing herself as one of the first women in Europe to openly dispute the portrayal of her gender in male-authored texts. Her work as a philosopher and poet contributed significantly to the literary style of poetry, characterized by strong expressiveness, and her engagement with politics provided a unique, intellectual female perspective on the governance and group decisions of her era. Her legacy endures through her extensive bibliography and her role in articulating the human experience through a female lens.

## Notable For
*   Authoring *The Book of the City of Ladies* (inception 1405).
*   Being a professional writer and poet in the late Middle Ages.
*   Serving as a translator of written texts.
*   Possessing extensive knowledge of philosophy.
*   Contributing to the fields of literature and politics.
*   Being identified as a human (Homo sapiens) and a notable figure in French history.

## Body
### Early Life and Background
Christine de Pizan was born in 1364, with specific records noting dates such as September 11, 1364, and a general reference to the year 1363. She was a human (instance of Homo sapiens) and a unique member of the species. She eventually settled in France, where she obtained citizenship (citizenship: France). Her life spanned approximately 66 years, concluding around the year 1430.

### Career and Roles
Christine de Pizan held several professional identities. She was primarily a **writer** (sitelink count: 176), a person who uses written words to communicate ideas and produce literary works. She was also a **poet** (sitelink count: 171), a person who writes poetry, and a **translator** (sitelink count: 63), a person who translates written text from one language to another. Furthermore, she was recognized as a **philosopher** (sitelink count: 108), a person with an extensive knowledge of philosophy. Her work intersected with the fields of **literature** (sitelink count: 290), defined as a written art form, and **politics** (sitelink count: 287), involving activities associated with group decisions.

### Major Works
Christine de Pizan's literary output was extensive. Her most famous work is **The Book of the City of Ladies** (inception: +1405-00-00T00:00:00Z; sitelink count: 22). The source material lists a vast array of other works attributed to her, including:
*   *Le Livre de la Cité des Dames*
*   *Le Livre des trois vertus*
*   *L'Épître Othéa*
*   *Le Livre du corps de policie*
*   *Le Livre de la paix*
*   *Le Dit de la Rose*
*   *Le Chemin de longue étude*
*   *Le Livre des faits d'armes et de chevalerie*
*   *Le Livre de la mutation de fortune*
*   *Le Dit de la pastoure*
*   *Les Cent Ballades*
*   *Les Enseignemens moraux*
*   *Les Fais d'armes et de chevalerie*
*   *Le Livre des fais et bonnes meurs du sage roy Charles V*
*   *L'Avision-Christine*
*   *Le Livre de Prudence*
*   *Le Livre de l'advision Cristine*
*   *Les Epistres du debat sur le Roman de la Rose*
*   *Le Debat sur le Roman de la Rose*
*   *Oroyson nostre dame*
*   *Les Heures de contemplacion sur la passion de nostre seigneur*
*   *Le Livre de la prod'homie de l'homme*
*   *Le Livre de la mutacion de Fortune*
*   *Le Livre des fais et bonnes meurs du sage roy Charles V*
*   *Le Livre des trois vertus*
*   *Le Livre du corps de policie*
*   *Le Livre de la paix*
*   *Le Livre des faits d'armes et de chevalerie*
*   *Le Livre de la mutation de fortune*
*   *Le Dit de la pastoure*
*   *Les Cent Ballades*
*   *Les Enseignemens moraux*
*   *Les Fais d'armes et de chevalerie*
*   *Le Livre des fais et bonnes meurs du sage roy Charles V*
*   *L'Avision-Christine*
*   *Le Livre de Prudence*
*   *Le Livre de l'advision Cristine*
*   *Les Epistres du debat sur le Roman de la Rose*
*   *Le Debat sur le Roman de la Rose*
*   *Oroyson nostre dame*
*   *Les Heures de contemplacion sur la passion de nostre seigneur*
*   *Le Livre de la prod'homie de l'homme*
*   *Le Livre de la mutacion de Fortune*

### Contextual Influence
Her work utilized **poetry** (sitelink count: 241), a literary style characterized by strong expressiveness of words, often used to convey emotions and ideas through rhythmic language. She operated within the cultural and political framework of **France** (sitelink count: 409), a country in Western Europe. France, during her lifetime, was evolving from its origins established by the Treaty of Verdun in 843, which created West Francia. The country was a semi-presidential republic with a rich history of literature and politics, influencing and providing the environment for her intellectual pursuits. Her status as a French citizen placed her within a nation known for its significant global cultural and political influence, which she contributed to through her writings on governance and morality.

## References

1. Treccani's Enciclopedia on line
2. CERL Thesaurus
3. Discogs
4. Encyclopædia Britannica Online
5. Czech National Authority Database
6. [Source](http://roglo.eu/roglo?lang=fr;p=christine;n=de+pisan;)
7. LIBRIS. 2012
8. IdRef
9. Library of the World's Best Literature
10. [Source](https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k18351t/f419.item)
11. [Source](https://journals.openedition.org/contextes/5798)
12. [Source](https://www.fabula.org/colloques/document6265.php)
13. International Standard Name Identifier
14. BnF authorities
15. MusicBrainz
16. [BnF authorities](https://data.bnf.fr/fr/11896834/christine_de_pizan/)
17. [Find a Grave](https://es.findagrave.com/memorial/200117421/christine-de_pisan)
18. [Source](https://historyofwomenphilosophers.org/project/directory-of-women-philosophers/pizan-christine-de-1364-1430/)
19. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
20. Virtual International Authority File
21. [Source](https://www.bartleby.com/library/bios/index13.html)
22. [Source](https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-476-03702-2_69)
23. CONOR.SI
24. BBC Things
25. Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani
26. Femmes-Poëtes de la France
27. Enciclopedia Treccani
28. Bibliography of the History of the Czech Lands
29. HMML Authority File
30. Digital Scriptorium Catalog