The Treasure of the City of Ladies

Download or read book The Treasure of the City of Ladies written by Christine de Pizan and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2003-10-30 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by Europe’s first professional woman writer, The Treasure of the City of Ladies offers advice and guidance to women of all ages and from all levels of medieval society, from royal courtiers to prostitutes. It paints an intricate picture of daily life in the courts and streets of fifteenth-century France and gives a fascinating glimpse into the practical considerations of running a household, dressing appropriately and maintaining a reputation in all circumstances. Christine de Pizan’s book provides a valuable counterbalance to male accounts of life in the middle ages and demonstrates, often with dry humour, how a woman’s position in society could be made less precarious by following the correct etiquette.