The Complaint of Women

By Ferran Garcés 

For almost fifty years, Bellesguard was owned by women who, far from having it easy due to this apparent privilege, had to fight against the circumstances of their peculiar fate. On the other hand, their efforts coincide with the beginnings of The Complaint of Women, a term used for the literary, political, and philosophical debate about the female nature, which took place in Europe between the 15th and 18th centuries. This debate has been revived today as a reference for the feminist movement. However, for reasons of space, today we will only discuss the Complaint and next Friday we will focus on the women of Bellesguard. 

The Complaint of Women 

The beginning of the Complaint is usually placed around 1405, three years before the construction of the Bellesguard palace. This date coincides with the publication of the book The City of Ladies, written by Christine de Pizan (header image), the first woman to intervene in the Complaint and, as such, regarded today as a feminist pioneer. Her work is a response to a poem highly critical of women: the second part of Roman de la Rose, written by Jean de Meung between 1275 and 1280. 

In Catalonia, this debate is little known, despite having an earlier precedent to the publication of The City of Ladies, although the author is still a man. We refer to Bernat Metge (1346-1413), writer and advisor to King Martí I the Humane at Bellesguard. In his most famous book, Lo somni (1399), Metge offers an original approach to the Complaint, by integrating, thanks to the formula of a dialogue, both the arguments against, in chapter III, and the arguments in favor of women, in chapter IV. Furthermore, Metge, famous for introducing Humanism in Catalonia, bridges the opinions about women in the Middle Ages and those of the Renaissance. Another merit of Metge was adding examples from the Bible and classical references, typical of his time, along with models inspired by queens linked to Catalonia (1). He even did something more. Petrarch, one of the first Renaissance authors, made a list of illustrious cities named after women popular. Bernat Metge added Barcelona (2). 

Among the negative arguments collected in Lo somni (chapter III), there are some as surprising as the following: “They are frivolous: they only think about refinements, speaking languages, cultivating music and entertainment literature, and having a seductive appearance” (3). Among the arguments in favor (chapter IV), his defense of Eve stands out, as he exonerates her from any guilt, and he reminds of the misfortunes that would exist in a world without women: “You know that if there had been no women, all human nature would have been lost in Adam. There would be no cities, no castles, no houses, no kings, knights, or weapons…” (5). Metge goes further and finds room to expose the defects of men as well, or at least demonstrate that the genders are not so different: “Women use cosmetics, and men do too, to turn blonde or to appear younger”; “In terms of dressing, men do as many or more silly things than women” (6). 

The Importance of Role Models 

We conclude with a quote that sums up the scope—and relevance—of that debate. The author is Sandra Aliaga Ugencio, a graduate of the University of Zaragoza: “Although the Complaint of Women did not generate legislative or political changes, it did provoke a shift in mentality, which is, ultimately, the origin of all social transformation. For this reason, among many others, the Complaint is part of the slow historical process of female empowerment” (3). Retrospectively, the so-called “pro-feminine texts” offer “a very important weapon: that of role models, of milestones that could be made one’s own. The memory and emphasis of the example of illustrious and valuable ladies confirmed with their existence the possibility for the rest of them to also be virtuous and remembered for milestones beyond being a good daughter, wife, and mother. And this is, in my view, the greatest success of the Complaint.” 

Next Friday, we will remember some of these illustrious and valuable ladies. The women who resided in Bellesguard for fifty years, between 1410 and 1460, that is, in parallel with the start of the Complaint of Women. 

Notes 

(1) Badia, Lola (1999), Edition and comments on Lo Somni by Bernat Metge, Quaderns Crema, Barcelona, p. 226-229 

(2) Ibíd., p. 225. 

(3) Ibíd., p. 220 

(4) Bultiña Jiménez, Julia (2015) “The Introduction of Humanism in the Iberian Peninsula,” in Mirabilia: Electronic Journal of Ancient and Medieval History, nº21, p. 212. Online link: here. 

(5) Badia, Lola, op. cit., p. 231. 

(6) Aliaga Ugencio, Sandra (2019) “The Complaint of Women: Understanding Femininity in the Late Middle Ages,” Ab Origine Magazine, 39. Online link: here. 

Additional Bibliography 

Mas Montosa, Joan Carles (2020), “The Defense of Women in Lo somni. Transgression or Crime?”, Open University of Catalonia. Online link: here. 

Lucea Teruel, Esther (2015-2016), “The Condition of Women for Bernat Metge. Sin or Virtue?”, Open University of Catalonia. Online link: here.