Maria de Ventadorn (or Ventedorn) (french: Marie de Ventadour) was a patron of

troubadour A troubadour (, ; oc, trobador ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a ''trobairi ...

poetry at the end of the 12th century. Maria was one of ''las tres de Torena'', "the three of Turenne", the three daughters of viscount

Raymond II of Turenne Raymond II ( – 1190 at Acre) 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. Raymond was born posthumously four months after his father's ...

and of Elise de Séverac. These three, according to Bertran de Born, possessed ''tota beltat terrena'', "all earthly beauty". Her date of birth is uncertain; she possibly died in 1222. Her name is variously recorded as Marie de Turenne and Marguerite de Turenne. She married viscount Eble V of Ventadour (

Corrèze Corrèze (; oc, Corresa) is a department in France, named after the river Corrèze which runs through it. Although its prefecture is Tulle, its most populated city is Brive-la-Gaillarde. Corrèze is located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

); they had a son, Eble (VI), who married Dauphine de la Tour d'Auvergne, and a daughter, Alix or Alasia. Maria's husband was the grandson of Eble III (patron of the important early troubadour Bernart de Ventadorn), and the great-grandson of Eble le chanteur, believed to have been among the creators of the genre. Maria is addressed, or at least mentioned, in the work of several troubadours including

Gaucelm Faidit Gaucelm Faidit ( literally "Gaucelm the Dispossessed" c. 1156 – c. 1209) 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 ...

, the

Monk of Montaudon The (Lo) Monge de Montaudon (meaning "monk of Montaudon") (fl. 1193–1210Gaunt and Kay, Appendix I, 287.), 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 ...

, Gausbert de Puicibot,

Pons de Capduelh Pons de Capduelh (fl. 1160–1220Chambers 1978, 140. or 1190–1237Aubrey 1996, 19–20.) was a troubadour from the Auvergne, probably from Chapteuil. His songs were known for their great gaiety. He was a popular poet and 27 of his songs are prese ...

Guiraut de Calanso Giraut or Guiraut de Calanso or Calanson ( fl. 1202–1212)Gaunt and Kay, 286. was a Gascon troubadour in the Occitan language. Of his lyric works that remain five are '' cansos'', two ''descorts'', a '' congé'', a ''planh'', and a ''vers'' ...

, Bertran de Born and Gui d'Ussel. According to a poetic commentary included in the

Biographies des Troubadours ''Vida'' () is the usual term for a brief prose biography, written in Old Occitan, of a troubadour or trobairitz. The word ''vida'' means "life" in Occitan languages; they are short prose biographies of the troubadours, and they are found in som ...

Hugh IX of Lusignan Hugh IX "le Brun" of Lusignan (1163/1168 – 5 November 1219) was the grandson of Hugh VIII. His father, also Hugh (b. c. 1141), was the co-seigneur of Lusignan from 1164, marrying a woman named Orengarde before 1162 or about 1167 and dying i ...

was Maria's "knight" (). Maria de Ventadorn is listed as a

trobairitz 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. The word ''trobairitz'' is first attested in the 13th-century ro ...

in her own right on the strength of a single ''

tensó A ''tenso'' (; french: tençon) is a style of troubadour song. It takes the form of a debate in which each voice defends a position; common topics relate to love or ethics. Usually, the tenso is written by two different poets, but several examples ...

'' or poetic debate (dated ''c.'' 1197), of which alternate verses were apparently composed by her and by Gui d'Ussel. The question at issue in the debate was this: once a man has succeeded in his plea to be accepted as a lady's lover, does he thereafter become her equal, or does he remain her servant? Maria takes the latter view.

References

* ''Biographies des troubadours'' ed. J. Boutière, A.-H. Schutz (Paris: Nizet, 1964) pp. 170–179, 208-214, 314-320. * Pierre Bec, ''Chants d'amour des femmes-troubadours: trobairitz et chansons de femme'' (Paris: Stock, 1995) pp. 164–171: Occitan text and French translation of the ''tensó''. * Jean Mouzat, ''Les poèmes de Gaucelm Faidit''. Paris: Nizet, 1965. 12th-century births 1222 deaths 12th-century French women writers 12th-century French troubadours 12th-century women composers 13th-century French women French untitled nobility French patrons of literature Trobairitz Year of birth unknown {{France-poet-stub