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Almucs de Castelnau

1140 – 1184

Old Occitan troubadour

TrobairitzComposer Poet
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About Almucs de Castelnau

Lived 1140 – 1184 (aged 43–44). Almucs de Castelnau was a French trobairitz, composer, poet and writer.

Works Almucs' only known work is a stanza in a two-stanza tenso (poetic exchange) with Iseut de Capio, another trobairitz.

Each stanza of the song, found in a thirteenth-century manuscript chansonnier, is introduced by a razo and accompanied by an illuminated miniature. It tells how Iseut de Capio begged Almucs de Castelnau to pardon Gigo (Gui), lord of Tournon (Tornon) in the Vivarais and Iseut's knight, who had committed "a great fault" against Almucs. Gigo, however, neither repented nor sought forgiveness, and so Almucs responded to Iseut in a stanza of her own:

Travers (2021) places the portrayals of speaking women in Dante's contemporaneous Vita Nova in a broader cultural context by comparing them with the stances expressed by Almucs and other trobairitz in the chansonnier.

Some scholars assert that Almucs is mentioned (reading Dompna Na Mieils as dompna nal murs) in stanza VII of the poem Ia de chantar non degra aver talan by the trobairitz Castelloza. and in a studio album recording.

Stevie Wishart, a composer, improviser, and performer on the hurdy-gurdy and violin, directed the group Sinfonye in a recording as part of a compendium of trobairitz lyrics set to music played on reproductions of medieval instruments.

Commemoration Almucs de Castelnau's name is one of many inscribed on the Heritage Floor, a component of The Dinner Party, a 1979 mixed-media artwork by Judy Chicago. In the associated Heritage Panels, the artist links Almucs to Eleanor of Aquitaine, a noted patron of troubadours.

Identification Almodis de Caseneuve Bogin believes She gave birth to four sons, including Raimbout d'Agould, the second eldest, who, in 1173, accompanied his father on Crusade. Since Raimbout must have been old enough at the time to make such an arduous journey and Guirand's first wife had died in 1151, Almodis's marriage can be placed, according to Bogin, between that date and , assuming that the son would have been at least twelve at the time of the Crusade. Bogin suggests that a widower of Guirand's standing would have quickly remarried, and that Almodis was therefore probably born not much later than 1140.

Wife of Guigo de Randon It is also possible that Almucs was the wife of Guigo de Castelnou de Randon, who flourished around 1200.

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Important facts

Born
1140
Birth century
Died
1184
Occupation
Trobairitz, composer, poet, writer
Nationality
Also known as
Donna Almucs

People in Almucs de Castelnau's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Almucs de Castelnau's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Almucs de Castelnau?

Old Occitan troubadour

When was Almucs de Castelnau born?

Almucs de Castelnau was born in 1140.

When did Almucs de Castelnau die?

Almucs de Castelnau died in 1184.

What was Almucs de Castelnau's occupation?

Almucs de Castelnau was a trobairitz, composer, poet and writer.

What nationality was Almucs de Castelnau?

Almucs de Castelnau was French.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Almucs de Castelnau

· Wikidata: Q2426795

· DBpedia: Almucs de Castelnau

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Almucs de Castelnau. https://biography.guide/almucs-de-castelnau/

MLA: "Almucs de Castelnau." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/almucs-de-castelnau/.

Chicago: "Almucs de Castelnau." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/almucs-de-castelnau/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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