Illustration from The Book of City Ladies, a literary work by Christine de Pisan

At the age of twenty-five, Christine de Pisan became a widow with three small children to support. In spite of her misfortune, Christine had an advantage, in that her father had been a doctor in the French Court, and she was thus well educated and could support her family by writing. At first, Christine wrote poetry about her grief, and then she began writing about daily life. In fact, historical knowledge about how medieval women lived can, in large part, be attributed to Christine's writing. Christine was unusual for this time, for she had opportunities unavailable to most women.

During the Middle Ages, education was much different from today. The majority of common people were not educated, and most people were unable to read or write. Many nobles, however, were educated, but their time was mainly spent on feudal obligations and protecting their lands. Most education that took place was within the walls of the church, and most church officials could read, write, and perform translations. Church scholars began to see the value of educating more people, and formed the first colleges and universities. In this topic, you will learn how these establishments pushed great advancements in medicine, philosophy, and architecture.

Essential Question

• What was the role of education in the late Middle Ages?

 

Warm-Up

As you will learn in this topic, not everyone in medieval Europe had access to quality education. Do you believe everyone deserves the right to an education? Create a pros and cons list that compares education being a right versus education being a privilege.