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In the 15th century, Christine de Pizan (1364-1429) imagined the City of Ladies.

Six hundred years later, her vision still exists.

Education is the curative for many of the world's social ills, according to Christine. History shows that ignorance is often fostered by misinformation. The much reputed scientific revolution is rife with examples of suppression of information. When Galileo postulated a Copernican view of the solar system, he did so because though Aristotle, and thus the church, said the heavens were absolutely unchanging, certain anomalies were unmistakeable. A couple of comets that came into full view of everyone, and Galileo's telescopic view of four moons circling Jupiter blew Aristotle's claim to smithereens. They arrested Galileo for daring to challenge the authority of the known world.

By the time Isaac Newton came along, the education system was still dominated by the clergy. He and other questing minds created the Royal Society to analyze the fascinating results of scientific investigation. They wrote about what their research revealed, then discussed the ideas amongst themselves producing a dialogue which developed into the full blown productive theories of our science today. Because it was outside the traditional learning centers, it was dubbed the Invisible College.

Given Christine de Pizan's assertions about education, it seems likely that she would approve of scholars who seek knowledge outside the bounds of tradition. Her father was Court Astrologer to Charles V, and we can assume that since she studied everything around her, this would also be a topic of great interest to her. In her time, Astrology was a well respected tool of philosophers and scholars. City of Ladies will offer instruction in topics obscured by tradition such as astrology and invisibility as well as contemporary concerns such as womens' studies.

Christine de Pizan oversaw the copying, editing, and illuminating of her works. Following in her tradition, the new City of Ladies plans to publish works with just such dedication. Christine's principle interest was in bettering the lives of women. She believed that education was the key to forming a just society. Citing herself as an example of what an education could accomplish, she specifically focused on women's issues, but not exclusively. She has been called a polyscribist because she wrote on so many topics of relevance to her age. Apathy was not in her nature.

Since so much of Christine's work is directed to the rectification of historical knowledge, in particular women's part in civilization's accomplishments, the new City of Ladies plans to publish along this vein. Along with books and articles relevant to the demands of an ethic such as is promoted by the City of Ladies, knowledge that has been lost or silenced will also be targeted for rectification.