OTD: 11 September 1364 - Writer Christine de Pizan

On 11 September 1364 Christine de Pizan was born at Venice.



Family

Christine was the daughter of Tommasso di Benvenuto da Pizzano.
Her father worked as a physician, court astrologer and Councillor of
the Republic of Venice.

Later, Christine's father accepted an appointment to the court of
Charles V of France as the king's astrologer. In 1368 the family
moved to Paris.

In 1378 Christine de Pizan married Etienne du Castel, who was a
notary and royal secretary.

In 1389 Christine's husband died of the plague. Her father had died
a year before. In order to support herself and her family Christine
started writing.


Christine de Pizan offered a book to Margaret of Burgundy


A great career


Around 1394 she wrote love ballads, which caught the attention of some
wealthy patrons within the court. Pizan expressed a fervent love for
France and its culture. She gifted or dedicated her early ballades to members
of the royal family such as Isabeau of Bavaria, Queen of France,
Louis I, Duke of Orléans and Marie of Berry.

In 1404 Pizan chronicled the life of Charles V. She portrayed him as the ideal
King and political leader. This chronical was commissioned by Philip the Bold,
Duke of Burgundy.

In 1405 Christine published Le Livre de la cité des dames and
Le Livre des trois vertus. In these books Pizan presented intellectual and
royal female leaders.

Since 1405, a civil war broke out in France. In 1407, John the Fearless
plunged France into a crisis when he had ordered to assassinate
Louis of Orléans. Later the Burgundian Duke fled out of Paris, while he
was one of the regents of France.

In 1410 Pizan wrote the manual on chivalry. In 1411 she received 200
livre from the royal treasury.



In 1413 Pizan offered guidance to the young dauphin on how to govern
well, by publishing The Book of Peace.

In 1414 Christine Pizan presented Queen Iseabeau of France a lavish
decorated collection of her works. The bound book contained 30 of
Pizan's writings and 130 miniatures.

In 1418 Christine Pizan wrote a consolation for women who had lost
family members in the Battle of Agincourt under the tittle Epistre de la
prison de vie Humaine.

Probably the last 10 years of her life, Pizan spent at the Dominican
Convent of Poissy because of the civil war and the occupation of Paris
by the English.

Pizan also published in 1429 a poem The Tale of Joan of Arc, just a
few days after the coronation of Charles VII.

Death

It is believed that Christine Pizan died in 1430, before Joan of Arc was
executed by the English/Burgundians.



Source pictures: Wikipedia

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