By Tim Lambert
Christine de Pizan was a great woman writer of the Middle Ages. Her father Tommaso was a famous academic and she was born in Italy in about 1363. When she was an infant Christine and her family moved to France, where her father was employed by the French king. In 1379 Christine married Etienne de Castel. Christine had 3 children, 1 girl, and 2 boys. However, her husband died young in 1390.
Christine was devastated and she took to writing poetry to express her grief. Soon she gained a reputation as a gifted poet. Christine Pizan became a professional writer. She wrote on many subjects. Among her famous books are Letters to the God of Love (1399) and The Book of the City of Ladies (1405), which championed women and their place in society. Her last work was The Poem of Joan of Arc written in 1429. Christine de Pizan died around 1430.
