Christine de Pizan

Christine de Pizan was born in Italy but grew up in France, which is why she wrote in Middle French. Her father was employed at the court of King Charles V, which provided Christine with an education and an intimate view of aristocratic customs and fashions, including the practices of chivalry -- all of which informed her work. In her writings, Christine gracefully challenged the false stereotypes of women and overall misogyny of her period. Today she is considered a protofeminist author.