Introduction to Middle French literature and the cultural changes of the late Middle Ages in France through the in-depth study of Christine de Pisan. Often presented as the inventor of feminism and as a fighter for the economic autonomy and intellectual authority of women, she was a prolific writer in various genres and also directed a workshop producing manuscripts. The seminar will be divided into several units, each of which will combine the study of single texts of each genre with more general aspects of her work. Three units will be dedicated to: 1) her lyrical poems (familiarizing students with the language and existing tools), 2) the Cité des Dames (role of women, use of sources, ideology, etc.), and, 3) religious poetry (women and devotion, manuscript production, etc.). A fourth section will concentrate on two further texts (an allegorical-autobiographical text and a political or historical treatise), to be chosen by the students.