(in Polish) Kobiety w intelektualnym zwierciadle literatury i dyskursu (XIV-XVI w). 3700-CS-F-KZL
The course is dedicated to exploring the role of women as active shapers of early modern thought and as participants in the cultural life of the era known for its revived interest in literature, philosophy, and art—a period that Giorgio Vasari famously referred to as the "Renaissance." The thematic scope is designed to highlight women as co-creators of the studia humanitatis curriculum and as contributors to the civic, religious, social, and intellectual consciousness of the Renaissance era.
We will examine women as authors, patrons, and agents who played an active role in the civilizational transformations that define modernity. The proposed gallery of figures aims to present historical precedents of feminism and financial autonomy grounded in intellectual creativity—for instance, Christine de Pizan, whose work exemplifies both. We will also explore the inspiration behind one of the most important texts of Renaissance humanism, De studiis ac litteris, written for Battista Malatesta, a polyglot, orator, and poet.
Among the women studied will be notable Polish figures, including Helena Ungler, a Kraków-based publisher and author of the first Polish-language dedication addressed to King Sigismund Augustus, and Magdalena Mortęska, a Benedictine nun and reformer of religious intellectual life in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth after the Council of Trent, as well as a writer and translator of religious classics.
The selection of figures may be modified or expanded based on participants' interests and initiatives.
Type of course
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Knowledge: The student
Understands the main directions of philosophical, social, and anthropological thought of the Renaissance as expressed in women's writings. (K_W06)
Applies methods of analysis and interpretation to language and topics created by or addressed to women during the Renaissance. (K_W06)
Possesses knowledge about the intellectual life of women in Europe and Poland during the Renaissance and is familiar with key female figures of the period. (K_W09)
Skills: The student
Is able to independently analyze Renaissance humanistic source texts and use relevant academic literature. (K_U02)
Can contextualize original works with respect to their time of creation and cultural moment. (K_U03)
Can prepare a well-informed oral presentation or visual presentation on a course-related topic and deliver it in a clear and engaging manner. (K_U11)
Social Competences: The student
Is prepared to include texts from the historical and cultural heritage into the research domain of the humanities, with an emphasis on the protection of cultural and natural heritage. (K_K06)
Is ready to apply the acquired research tools and cultural topoi for further academic development within the humanities and social sciences, and keeps up with new research methods and paradigms. (K_K02)
Appreciates the richness of culture by recognizing both continuity and transformation in women’s intellectual contributions throughout the centuries. (K_K08)
Bibliography
Krystyna de Pizan: Księga o Mieście Pań, tłum. Anna Loba ( Poznań: WN UAM, 2022.
Christine de Pisan Le Ditié de Jehanne d'Arc, https://www.jeanne-darc.info/contemporary-chronicles-other-testimonies/christine-de-pizan-le-ditie-de-jehanne-darc/
Małgorzata Wrześniak. „Miasto Dam”: Christine de Pisan. „Saeculum Christianum”. 16 (2), s. 33–50, 2009
Jerzy Strzelczyk. Kobieta do pióra? Wokół problematyki twórczości literackiej kobiet w średniowieczu (na przykładzie Krystyny de Pizan). „Acta Universitatis Wratislaviensis. Historia” 2005 59 (171), s. 33–65.
Laura Rinaldi Dufresne, The Fifteenth Century Illustrations of Christine De Pizan's The Book of the City of Ladies and The Treasure of the City of Ladies Analyzing the Relation of the Pictures to the Text, Lewiston : The Edwin Mellen Press, 2012.
Leonardo Bruni, O studiowaniu nauk i o literaturze, „Odrodzenie i reformacja w Polsce”, t. 43 1999, s 163-176.
Vittoria Colonna, Sonnets for Michelangelo :a bilingual edition, Chicago University Press
V Cox, S. McHugh, Vittoria Colonna : poetry, religion, art, impact , Amsterdam University Press 2022.
Piotra Crescentyna Kxięgi o gospodarstwie, y o opatrzeniu rozmnożenia rozlicznych pożytkow, każdemu stanowi potrzebne, H. Unglerowa, Kraków 1549. (dedykacja dla Zygmunta Augusta)
M. Mortęska, Rozmyślania o męce Pańskiej, Tyniec Wydawnictwo Benedyktynów, Kraków 2020
K. Górski, M. Magdalena Mortęska i jej rola w reformie trydenckiej w Polsce, „Nasza przeszłość”, 1971 t. 34, s.131-176.
M. Chantry, Kobieta jako postać literacka w łacińskiej poezji renesansu. Italia i Polska, Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego 2014
Additional information
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