The Book of the City of Ladies facts for kids
The Book of the City of Ladies (or Le Livre de la Cité des Dames), published in 1405, is a very famous book by Christine de Pizan. Christine first wrote it in French. Later, it was translated into English in 1999.
This book was Christine's way of responding to another popular book called Roman de la Rose by Jean de Meun. Jean de Meun had written some things about women that Christine disagreed with. So, Christine created an imaginary city, a "City of Ladies," to defend women. She filled this city with stories of many famous women from history. Each woman helped build the city, showing how important women are to society. Christine also strongly believed that girls and women should get an education.
Contents
What is the Book About?
Part 1: Starting the City
The book begins with Christine reading a text that says women make men's lives unhappy. Reading this makes Christine very sad and ashamed to be a woman.
Then, three special helpers appear to Christine. They are called the Virtues. They tell her that God has chosen her to build a special city just for women.
Part 2: Building the City Walls
In the second part, one of the helpers, Lady Rectitude, promises to help Christine build the houses and buildings inside the city walls. She says they will fill the city with "brave and famous ladies."
As they build, Lady Rectitude tells Christine stories about powerful women. These stories also help to correct wrong ideas people had about women, like saying they were not good or were always changing their minds. This part ends with Christine asking all women to pray for her as she continues her work.
Part 3: Finishing the City
In the third part, Lady Justice joins Christine to add the final touches to the city. This includes bringing a queen to rule the city. Lady Justice tells Christine about female saints who were admired for their bravery and faith.
At the end of this part, Christine announces that the City of Ladies is finished. She asks all women to protect the city and follow their queen, who is the Virgin Mary. She also warns women to be careful of people who spread lies. She tells them to protect their good name and honesty.
Famous Women in the City
Many women were mentioned in the book as building blocks for the city. Some of them include:
- Medusa
- Helen of Troy
- Polyxena
- Florence of Rome
- Isabeau of Bavaria
- Joan of Armagnac
- Margaret of Bavaria
- Isis
- Marie, Duchess of Auvergne
- Margaret of Burgundy, Duchess of Bavaria
- Marie of Savoy, Countess of Saint-Pol
- Anne de Bourbon
- The Virgin Mary
See also
In Spanish: La ciudad de las damas para niños
