Peire de Valeira

Peire de valeria si fo de gascoigna de la terra de narnaut guillim de marsan. . ."Peire de Valeira was from Gascony, from the land of Sir Arnaut Guillem de Marsan. . ." Peire de Valeira, Valeria, or Valera (fl. early–mid twelfth century) was a Gascon troubadour. Since troubadour poetry probably originated in northwest Aquitaine (Poitou and Saintonge) and first spread—within a generation—south into Gascony, Peire was one of the earliest troubadours. Only two of his poems survive, one canso ("Vezer volgra n'Ezelgarda" ) and one cobla ("Qui qu'Amors don son voler" ).

His birthplace was Valera, near Podensac and Saint-Macaire in the Gironde.

Peire's entire vida, found in MSS I and K, however, is probably unreliable, since it appears to confuse him with another Gascon troubadour, Arnaut de Tintinhac.

Peire is often placed in a hypothetical "school" of poetry which includes Bernart de Ventadorn, Cercamon, Jaufre Rudel, Marcabru, Marcoat, and Peire Rogier among others. Further, the references in his vida to songs of the time concerning leaves, flowers, songs, and birds may be evidence for an early troubadour genre which did not survive. The paubra valor ("poor value") of Peire's songs may be a reflection of the popularity of Gascon influence.