1. Renaissance Women HST 102: History of Western Civilizations: By Ashley Prest  Humanism expanded on the ideas that valued human thought and creations.  Medieval universities like Oxford and Paris, would center their curriculum around humanism as a way to replace studies founded in logic and theology.  The following explores the views and arguments from women in the Renaissance who were ready, willing and capable of making a difference in classic literature, social mobility, and cultural expansion.

2.  “Because humanism was an educational program designed to produce virtuous citizens and able public officials, it largely excluded women because women were largely excluded from Italian political life (Cole 367)”.  The majority of the world still utilized class systems  Social hierarchy would have an affect on how much influence a woman in the Renaissance could have.  Pisan uses the Greco-Roman goddess Athena (Minerva) to fuel her argument that woman have also been an important part of battle  — that men have no room to criticize a woman’s right or ability to speak of war given that a female goddess was the one to aid men in battle to begin with. Athena painted by Andrea Mantegna (1501) oil on Canvas

3.  Women in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries were still considered property with immature intellects, rather than contributing members of their society.  In an excerpt from On the Family, written by Italian writer, Leon Alberti, he dictates that, “[Husbands] who take councel with their wives…are madmen if they think true and prudence or good councel lies in the female brain (Cole 369)”.  Alberti acknowledges the lowly place in which women are kept, and goes on to claim that not only can women not be trusted for their thoughts or opinions, but that women are incompetent in the subjects of anything outside of the house or children. Leon Alberti (1404-1472)

4.  Throughout history the church and faith has continued to be an important part of the lives of the people.  Woman were still considered unworthy of anything more than practicing restraint and devotion within the church.  This is evident in an excerpt by Carolyne Larrington, The Condemnation of Joan of Arc by the University of Paris, 1431. In the excerpt, Larrington writes, “…the clerks of the University of Paris…having considered all…they have declared that all things mentioned above are lies, falseness, misleading and pernicious things and that such revelations are superstitions, proceeding from wicked and diabolical spirits (Cole 379)”.  Women were not allowed to be seen as holy figures or prophets. “On this Day” May 30, 1491: Joan of Arc Martyred

5.  The theme of the life of a Renaissance woman was subjugation.  A woman was controlled by her parents throughout her childhood  Followed by her husband who was arranged for her.  Women were frequently discouraged from participating in the arts and sciences  Only women of the highest class were given the chance to distinguish themselves  Wives of powerful men were only allowed to participate in sewing, cooking, and entertaining.  In history, women provide no more than a backdrop to the political and social story of the Renaissance “Subjugation”

6.  The perception of woman during the Renaissance:  Women were incompetent children  Considered Wicked in nature  Men controlled the church, the governments and the majority of society  Making it difficult for women to find the chance to expand on their artistic and intellectual talents. In Conclusion, Christine de Pizan (1405) With Justice from the book : The City of Ladies