Bernart de Ventadorn was a French poet-composer troubadour of the classical age of troubadour poetry. Generally regarded as the most important troubadour in both poetry and music, his 18 extant melodies of 45 known poems in total is the most to survive from any 12th-century troubadour. He is remembered for his mastery as well as popularization of the trobar leu style, and for his prolific cançons, which helped define the genre and establish the "classical" form of courtly love poetry, to be imitated and reproduced throughout the remaining century and a half of troubadour activity.
Azalais de Porcairagues or Alasais de Porcaragues was a trobairitz, composing in Occitan in the late 12th century.
The trobairitz were Occitan female troubadours of the 12th and 13th centuries, active from around 1170 to approximately 1260. Trobairitz is both singular and plural.
Gaucelm Faidit was a troubadour, born in Uzerche, in the Limousin, from a family of knights in service of the count of Turenne. He travelled widely in France, Spain, and Hungary. His known patrons include Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany and Dalfi d'Alvernha; he was also at one time in Poitiers at the court of Richard I of England, for whose death he wrote a famous planh (lament) in 1199. It is possible, though controversial, that Gaucelm took part in the Third Crusade from 1189–1191; it seems clear that in 1202 he set out on the Fourth Crusade, as did his then-patron, Boniface of Montferrat, but after 1202 there is no further historical trace of Gaucelm.
Eble II of Ventadorn was viscount of Ventadour. He was born at some date after 1086, the son of Eble I and of Almodis de Montberon.
Eble III of Ventadorn was viscount of Ventadour. He was the son of Eble II, known as Eble le chanteur, and of Agnes de Montluçon. His date of birth is unknown; he died in 1170.
Eble V of Ventadorn was viscount of Ventadour. He was the son of Eble IV and of Sybille de la Faye. His date of birth is unknown; he probably died soon after 1236.
Vida is the usual term for a brief prose biography, written in Old Occitan, of a troubadour or trobairitz.
The (Lo) Monge de Montaudon, born Pèire de Vic, was a nobleman, monk, and troubadour from the Auvergne, born at the castle of Vic-sur-Cère near Aurillac, where he became a Benedictine monk around 1180. According to his vida, he composed "couplets while he was in the monastery and sirventes on subjects that were popular in the region."
Uc de Saint Circ or Hugues (Hugh) de Saint Circq was a troubadour from Quercy. Uc is perhaps most significant to modern historians as the probable author of several vidas and razos of other troubadours, though only one of Bernart de Ventadorn exists under his name. Forty-four of his songs, including fifteen cansos and only three canso melodies, have survived, along with a didactic manual entitled Ensenhamen d'onor. According to William E. Burgwinkle, as "poet, biographer, literary historian, and mythographer, Uc must be accorded his rightful place as the 'inventor' (trobador) of 'troubadour poetry' and the idealogical trappings with which it came to be associated."
Gui d'Ussel, d'Ussèl, or d'Uisel was a troubadour from the Limousin. Twenty of his poems survive: eight cansos, two pastorelas, two coblas, and eight tensos, several with his relatives and including a partimen with Maria de Ventadorn. Four of his cansos melodies remain.
Eble or Ebles d'Ussel was a Limousin troubadour, the eldest of three brothers, castellans of the castle of Ussel-sur-Sarzonne, northeast of Ventadorn. His younger brothers were Peire and Gui and he also had a cousin named Elias, all troubadours. Of his corpus only one tenso, one partimen, and a cobla survive. The only sources for his life, besides his own songs, are the vida of his brother Gui and a document recording the donation of land to the abbey of Bonaigue by two brothers Guido and Eblo Usseli. According to Gui's vida, Eble composed "bad tensos".
Elias or Elyas d'Ussel or d'Uisel was a Limousin troubadour, the cousin of the three brothers Eble, Peire, and Gui, and co-castellan with them of the castle of Ussel-sur-Sarzonne, northeast of Ventadorn.
Uc de la Bacalaria was a Limousin troubadour from La Bachellerie near Uzerche, the home town of Gaucelm Faidit. According to his vida, he was a jongleur who travelled infrequently and was hardly known. He composed cansos, tensos, one alba, and one descort. Six songs are surviving: one canso, one alba, and four tensos. According to the vida, he was courtly, capable, and learned.
Gui de Cavalhon, Cavaillo, or Gavaillo was a Provençal nobleman: a diplomat, warrior, and man of letters. He was probably also the Guionet who composed tensos and partimens with Cadenet, Raimbaut de Vaqueiras, Mainart Ros, Pomairol, and a certain Guillem.
Pistoleta was a Provençal troubadour. His name means "little letter (epistle)" in Occitan. He left behind eleven songs, comprising nine cansos and two tensos. Some of his pieces are assigned to an otherwise unknown Jordan de Born in the table of contents of chansonnier C, a fourteenth-century Occitan manuscript.
Eble IV was viscount of Ventadour in the 12th century. He was the son of Eble III of Ventadorn and Alais, daughter of William VI of Montpellier and elder sister of William VII.
Eble VI of Ventadorn was the son of Eble V of Ventadorn and Marguerite or Marie de Turenne. She is better known as Maria de Ventadorn, trobairitz and patron of troubadours. Eble VI married Dauphine de la Tour d'Auvergne, and had a daughter, Alix or Alasia. Robert d'Auvergne, count of Clermont, a great-grandson of the venerable Duke d'Auvergne, and Alix's husband.
Raymond II was the 9th Viscount of Turenne from the House of Comborn. He was a son of Viscount Boson II and Eustorgie d'Anduze, and grandson of Raymond I of Turenne.
