Arnaldo

Bibliographic notes

Occitan troubadour that has been identified with Arnault Catalan, an identification based on his single composition included in the songbooks, the poetic dispute with Alfonso X and whose theme is very similar to a prior dispute between Arnauld Catalan and (probably) Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence.
The troubadour Arnault Catalan would have passed by the court of the Este (1221-1233), having also frequented the court of Provence, at least from 1241 (a year where he appears as a witness in a donation document from the Count) to 1245, year of the death of Ramon Berenguer IV. His trip to Castile should have occurred after this date. Although it’s difficult to give a precise moment, it’s possible that the poetic dispute with Alfonso X dates from the first years of the Wise King.