One of a school of poets who flourished from the eleventh to the thirteenth century, principally in Provence, in the south of France, and also in the north of Italy. They invented, and especially cultivated, a kind of lyrical poetry characterized by intricacy of meter and rhyme, and usually of a romantic, amatory strain.
twelfth- and thirteenth-century poet-musicians of southern France. They wrote poetry in the Old Provençal language set to monophonic music. [CBN
One of a class of Occitan lyric poets and poet-musicians, often of knightly rank, who flourished from the 11th through the 13th centuries in Southern France and neighboring areas of Italy and Spain, and who wrote of courtly love. Sidelight: Female troubadours were called trobairitz.(See Tenson) (See also Improvisatore, Jongleur, Meistersingers, Minnesingers, Minstrel, Scop. Trouvere) (Compare Bard, Metrist, Sonneteer, Wordsmith)
(O. Prov. trobar-"to find, invent or compose lyric verse") Vernacular poet of Occitania who flourished from c. 1100-c. 1300 and who wrote on secular themes, such as love.
travelling ballad singer from the Provence region
Composers of epic poems, such as the Chansons de Geste, and love songs, often sung by wandering minstrels.
A troubadour was a composer and performer of songs during the High Middle Ages in Europe. The tradition began to flourish during the 11th century. The earliest troubadour whose work survives is Guilhem de Peitieus (Guillaume d'Aquitaine or William IX, Duke of Aquitaine, 1071 - 1127).