Around 1100, troubadour poetry emerged in Provence, where Occitan poets developed courtly love songs influenced by Arabic and Hispano-Arabic traditions from Al-Andalus. This genre of poetry celebrated themes of love, chivalry, and the idealization of women, reflecting the cultural exchanges of the time. The troubadours played a significant role in shaping medieval literature and music, influencing later poetic forms and the evolution of romantic expression in Europe.

The emergence of troubadour poetry in Provence introduced strophic forms and themes of love from Arabic poetry, laying the groundwork for European lyric poetry. Poets like Bernart de Ventadorn influenced the development of the sonnet and romantic expression in later literary traditions.