GARSENDA, Countess of Provence

GARSENDA, Countess of Provence 12th-century French troubadour. She was the granddaughter of Count Guilhelm de Forcalquier, who gave her in marriage to Alphonse II of Provence in 1193 as a token of the Forcalquiers’ subjection to the house of Provence. The court of Alphonse II was a thriving cultural center and Garsenda became the patron of several poets. After Alphonse’s death in 1209, Garsenda became Regent of Provence, later retiring to the Abbey of la Celle, near Brignoles. Composition VOCAL…