Trota of Salerno (12th Century) – Medical Practitioner and Author

Trota was a pioneering female physician from Salerno, Italy, a city known for its medical school, which was among the earliest to admit women. She specialized in gynecology and obstetrics and authored several treatises on women’s health, fertility, and childbirth—areas often neglected by male physicians.

Her writings, such as the Practica secundum Trotam (Practice According to Trota), included practical advice on surgical techniques and herbal treatments. Trota's work was circulated widely throughout Europe, highlighting her vital role in medieval medicine and representing an early example of women’s contribution to science.

 Christine de Pizan (1364–c.1430) – Writer and Early Feminist


Christine de Pizan was an Italian-French writer who is often credited as one of Europe’s first feminist thinkers. As a court writer in France, she produced an impressive body of work including poetry, biographies, and political treatises.

Her landmark work, The Book of the City of Ladies (1405), challenged the misogynistic narratives prevalent in medieval literature by constructing an allegorical city inhabited and governed by virtuous women. Christine argued for the education and moral equality of women, directly confronting the societal norms that sought to marginalize them. Her writings remain foundational in the history of feminist literature. shutdown123

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