Ever felt like you’re just surrounded by voices telling you who you’re supposed to be? Honestly, that’s exactly where Christine de Pizan was in 1405. She was sitting in her study, probably exhausted, holding a book by a guy named Matheolus—a real piece of work called Lamentations—and it basically told her that women were nothing but a source of misery for men.
She didn't just get annoyed. She had a full-blown existential crisis. She started thinking, "Wait, if all these smart guys say women are terrible, maybe I’m the one who’s wrong?" But then, instead of just spiraling, she did something pretty legendary. She wrote The Book of the City of Ladies.
It wasn't just a book. It was a literal city built of words where no man could tear women down.
Why this book was basically a medieval "Avengers Assemble"
Imagine you're living in a world where the "experts" literally believe women are made of "cold and wet humors" and are basically less-developed men. That was the 15th-century vibe. Christine decided to fight back by calling in the big guns: three allegorical sisters named Reason, Rectitude, and Justice.
They don't just give her a pep talk. They show up with tools. Reason has a mirror (to show the truth), Rectitude has a ruler (to measure right from wrong), and Justice has a container of gold (to reward the good). They tell Christine she’s been chosen to build a fortified city that will protect virtuous women for all of time.
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The city isn't made of bricks. Each "stone" is actually a story of a real woman from history.
Building the foundations with Lady Reason
Lady Reason helps Christine dig the foundation. How? By debunking the garbage myths of the time. Christine asks, "Why do men say we aren't smart enough to learn?" and Reason basically rolls her eyes and points to women like Sappho or Cornificia.
She brings up:
- Semiramis: A queen who built Babylon.
- Carmentis: Who supposedly invented the Latin alphabet.
- Minerva: Not just a goddess here, but a woman who mastered science and weaving.
Reason’s point is simple: if you give women the same education as men, they’ll do just as well. It’s kinda wild to think she was saying this over 600 years ago, right?
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The walls of Rectitude and the gates of Justice
Once the foundation is set, Lady Rectitude helps build the houses and the walls. This section is all about character. People back then loved to claim women couldn't keep a secret or were unfaithful. Rectitude basically brings the receipts. She tells stories of women like Argia, who risked everything to bury her husband, proving that loyalty isn't a "male" trait.
Then comes Lady Justice. She’s the one who finishes the rooftops and brings in the "Queen" of the city—the Virgin Mary. While the first two parts of the book feel very "history and logic," Part III gets deeply religious. It’s full of stories about female martyrs like Saint Catherine or Saint Christine (de Pizan’s namesake).
These women weren't just "nice." They were tough. They faced emperors and stayed silent under torture. For Christine, this was the ultimate proof of female strength.
What most people get wrong about Christine
Some people today look back and say, "Well, she was still very religious and conservative." And yeah, she was. She wasn't out there protesting in the streets for the right to vote. She believed in the social hierarchy of her time.
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But you've got to realize how radical she actually was. She was a professional writer—the first woman in Europe to earn a living solely from her pen. She was a widow with kids to feed and a mother to support. She didn't have time for theory; she was living the struggle.
When she wrote The Book of the City of Ladies, she wasn't just writing fiction. She was engaging in the Querelle des Femmes (the "Woman Question"), a massive intellectual debate that lasted for centuries. She took on the Romance of the Rose, which was the bestseller of the day, and told its author, Jean de Meun, that his views on women were lazy and wrong.
The real-world impact you can still feel
This book isn't just a museum piece. It’s actually been a huge inspiration for modern artists.
- The Dinner Party: Judy Chicago included Christine de Pizan as one of the 39 guests at her famous feminist art installation.
- DC Semiramis: The artist Tai Shani won the Turner Prize in 2019 with a work directly inspired by the city Christine built.
People are still obsessed with this idea of a "woman-built space" because, let's be honest, the world still feels a bit like that field Christine was sitting in—full of voices trying to define us from the outside.
How to actually use Christine’s wisdom today
If you’re looking for a way to apply this 1405 energy to your life, here’s the "Pizan Playbook":
- Audit your library. Look at the "experts" you’re listening to. If they’re making you feel small or "less than" because of who you are, they’re probably pulling a Matheolus. Toss the book.
- Find your "Reason." When someone makes a generalization about you, look for the evidence that proves them wrong. Facts are the best building stones.
- Build your own city. Surround yourself with a community (or a reading list) of women who have done what you want to do. Christine knew she couldn't build the city alone—she needed those three sisters and a whole history of women behind her.
What to do next:
If you want to see the "visuals" of this city, go look up the Queen’s Manuscript (Harley MS 4431). It’s a gorgeous 15th-century book that Christine actually supervised herself. You can see the original illustrations of her building the walls with Lady Reason. Seeing the physical evidence of her work makes the "City of Ladies" feel a lot less like a metaphor and a lot more like a blueprint.