Biography of Cristina da Pizzano

The first battles against misogyny

Year of birth: 1362
Death year: 1430
Cristina da Pizzano is the name Italianized from the French of Christine de Pisan (or even Christine de Pisan). This French medieval writer is still of Italian origin, born in Venice in the year 1362 (or perhaps in 1365). When still a child, his father Thomas, physician and astrologer, Professor of the University of Bologna, and then doctor and Counsellor of the Serenissima Republic in 1368 about is called at the French Court of Charles v. Christian (the name then became Christine) has to draw all vast culture represented by rich Royal Library of the Louvre. Marries a young notary Secretary of the King, Étienne de Castel, at only fifteen years old, but it remains early widow (Etienne died during an epidemic in 1390). He will express his sorrow in many poems, where the most famous is "Seulete". With responsibility for three small children on their shoulders and the mother, widow also, left by her husband in relative poverty, Cristina dedicates its efforts to studying and writing, much to produce and sell a hundred ballads in just two years ("Cent balades d'amant et de Dame").
In all likelihood, in the early days working as a copyist and even directs a scriptorium of master Illuminators. In his "Livre de la Jocuri de Fortune", a work consisting of octosyllabic 23,636, written between 1400 and the 1403, tells of the extraordinary symbolic Metamorphosis from woman to man who suffers. This great accountability raises in her the change that leads her to become a writer, a profession for men. Even today, thanks to medieval historiography, is recognized as the first European writer by profession, a writer who inspired directed by their life experiences, not from religious or mythological traditions. In this context and the themes in his works, he fights with the prevailing force misogyny, Cristina da Pizzano is often considered a precursor of feminism.
Other works in which the author attacks so strong-dominant tradition and misogynist of his time are "Epistre au Dieu D'Amours (1399)," Epistres du Débat sur le Roman de la Rose "and" Dit de la Rose ". In addition to author of numerous writings, Cristina da Pizzano is also a poet and philosopher: his best known work is the book "the city of Dame" (Livre de la Cité des Dames), written in a few months between 1404 and 1405. Inspired by "the city of God" by Saint Augustine, easy to read despite the evident high level cultural and notional, "the city of Dame" remains a modern and fascinating book, both for themes for both the great passion that transpires from the text. After his latest work, "Ditié de Jehánne d'Arc" (poem in 67 stanzas of verse, dedicated to Joan of ARC) of 1429-this is the first enthusiastic poem about Joan of arc and the only one to be made while the maid of Orleans was still alive at the age of 65 years, Cristina da Pizzano retires to a convent. The date of death is unknown, but it should be somewhere around 1430. In 2010 the actress Stefania Sandrelli Debuts as a Director filming the biopic "Christine Cristina", in which his daughter Amanda Sandrelli plays the protagonist (pictured), Cristina da Pizzano.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.