Married at fifteen, mother of three, widowed at twenty-five – such a description could apply to thousands of medieval women, but Christine de Pizan was no ordinary medieval woman. She supported her family as a professional writer, produced many works of poetry, wrote a manual on war and chivalry, and advised kings and nobles on politics. In her most influential work, Christine publicly engaged in epistolary debate with the intellectuals of her day, defending the value of women. She expanded her defense of women in other works, notably The Book of the City of Ladies. In this concert, Trobár explores the music of the courts in which Christine grew up and worked, set side by side with readings taken from this latter book, painting an aural picture of women and their status in early fifteenth-century France.

Featuring:

• Allison Monroe, strings and voice
• Elena Mullins Bailey, voice and harp
• Tracy Cowart, voice and harp
• Chris Szabert, actor

Please register ahead of time here. All tickets are general admission and pay-what-you-can. The suggested donation amount is $25, or $10 for students.

Be sure to check out their podcast, too, where they will have an episode about Christine de Pizan broadcasting soon!

This event was funded in part by an Ohio Humanities Spark Grant.

Curious about other grants? Visit our calendar or browse our list of grantees!