10 Inspiring Places in Europe Where You Can Learn About Women’s History

With skills that rival those of Caravaggio and other great male painters of the baroque period, Artemisia Gentileschi is considered one of the most progressive artists of the 17th century and of Italian painting in general.

The first woman to be inducted into Florence’s Accademia di Arte del Disegno—a prestigious academy founded by the Medicis—Gentileschi was long overlooked in the art history world, her career overshadowed by the tale of her rape and the subsequent trial. Experience the force of her vibrant (and often violent) works on a tour of Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, which houses her seminal Judith Slaying Holofernes.

Born into a humble peasant family, Joan of Arc became one of the most iconic figures in French and European history. Deeply religious, she claimed that a number of saints came to her via visions and instructed her to drive the English out of France during the Hundred Years' War. Fueled by her faith, she led the French army to victory in an important battle in 1429.

She was later burned at the stake by the English and is now considered a martyr who was punished for transcending gender roles. Take a Joan of Arc–themed tour in her hometown of Rouen to admire the many monuments and an excellent museum dedicated to her life and legacy.

Since her diary was published in 1947, Anne Frank has come to be considered one of history’s most important documentarians of the atrocities of WWII. Her intimate writing chronicles the two years she and her family hid in a secret annex in Amsterdam to escape antisemitic campaigns and deportation by the Nazis, and this moving and poignant work is a timeless reminder of the dangers of discrimination and racism.

The annex where the Franks took refuge and Anne recorded her thoughts and fears is one of Amsterdam’s most visited museums today, known as the Anne Frank House. Visit as part of a tour of Amsterdam’s Jewish quarter to learn more about her short life and indomitable spirit.

The UNESCO-listed city of Weimar was Germany’s intellectual and creative hub during the 18th-century Enlightenment, largely due to the influence (and wealth) of Duchess Anna Amalia.

This noblewoman dedicated her life to promoting art and culture, and her court became a hub for German writers, artists, and musicians. A stateswoman and composer herself, the Duchess loved literature and established the beautiful rococo-style Duchess Anna Amalia Library in 1766—marvel at its stunning hall on a visit to Weimar.

English novelist Jane Austen famously bucked convention both in her personal life and her works of fiction. Never married, the writer dedicated her life to crafting tales of how strong-willed women navigated the constraints of high society in 19th-century England.

She penned her six books at her home in Chawton, where she lived with her mother and sister. Today, her former cottage is much-visited by Austen fans and an inspiration for writers who admire her witty yet cutting commentary on the social mores of the time. Visit the Jane Austen House or tour it privately to learn more about her life and work.

Related: Take a Tour of Jane Austen’s England

No discussion of women in science—or the history of science in general—is complete without a mention of Marie Curie, the Polish-born physicist and chemist who was a trailblazer in the study of radioactivity in the 20th century. Curie studied and worked in Paris, where she did groundbreaking scientific research that earned her two Nobel prizes; she was the first person (male or female) in history to be recognized by the Nobel committee twice.

Today, the townhouse where she was born in Warsaw is the Museum of Maria Skłodowska-Curie, housing a vast collection of scientific instruments plus personal photos, journals, and letters documenting her life. Located in the Stare Miasto old town, the museum can easily be paired with a Warsaw sightseeing tour.

Considered to be the founder of the science of natural history in Germany, Hildegard von Bingen was a 12th-century polymath, accomplished in philosophy, theology, natural medicines, writing, composing, and healing. A powerful abbess, she wrote numerous religious and scientific volumes during her life and founded two monasteries.

Today, the 20th-century Abbey of St. Hildegard marks the spot where one of these medieval religious complexes once stood. Visit the abbey as part of a day trip to Bingen am Rhein, the gateway to Germany’s picturesque Upper Middle Rhine Valley.

The daughter of a Venetian nobleman, Elena Lucrezia Corner Piscopia was tutored from a young age in Greek, Latin, science, philosophy, and theology. Her intellect was admired by scholars across Europe, and after she held a public philosophical debate, her father demanded that the University of Padua grant Elena a degree.

Despite strong opposition, she was eventually allowed to graduate with a degree in philosophy in 1678; unfortunately, she died shortly after. Today, you can honor the memory and legacy of Elena with a tour of Palazzo Bo in Padua, the historic seat of the University of Padua, where a statue honoring her memory now stands.

The Marxist philosopher and anti-war activist Rosa Luxemburg was a controversial figure during her lifetime and still today, but there’s no denying that she was a leader for women in politics and activism for generations to come.

Polish-born, Luxemburg became a German citizen at a young age, standing up for political and social rights in Berlin until she was assassinated for her anti-war stance in 1919 along the Landwehr Canal. Take a history-themed walking tour in Berlin to visit the Rosa Luxemburg Monument and pay your respects to this famed revolutionary.

An outspoken feminist lawyer and activist in the early 20th century, Clara Campoamor campaigned for universal suffrage and was the driving force behind the inclusion of equal voting rights in Spain’s 1931 constitution. Though women did not yet have the right to vote in 1931, Campoamor was elected to the constituent assembly and was a tireless voice for all Spanish women.

She later fled to Switzerland during the Spanish Civil War and lived out her life in exile, having refused to collaborate with the Franco regime. Take a break during a walking tour of Seville to admire the statue in Campoamor’s honor that sits in the pretty Plaza de la Pescadería in the heart of the city.