Women in the Middle Ages: Between Theology and Reality

This article attempts to deconstruct the simplistic image of women in the Middle Ages, suspended between strict theological doctrine and dynamic social reality. The author analyzes how the Church's vision of Eve as the "devil's gate" coexisted with women's real influence on the economy, crafts, and politics. The text discusses in detail the legal status of widows, who enjoyed unique financial independence, and the role of nunneries as intellectual centers. It also explores the concept of "marital debt" and the influence of mystics such as Hildegard of Bingen on contemporary spirituality. This comprehensive look at female agency, which often transcended the framework imposed by misogynistic preaching, revealing the Middle Ages as a time full of paradoxes and real women's activity in the public sphere.