André Le Chapelain

André Le Chapelain (flourished 12th century) was a French writer on the art of courtly love, best known for his three-volume treatise Liber de arte honeste amandi et reprobatione inhonesti amoris (c. 1185; “Book of the Art of Loving Nobly and the Reprobation of Dishonourable Love”). He is thought to have been a chaplain at the court of Marie, Countess of Champagne, daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine. At Marie’s request André wrote the Liber. It was translated into French twice during the 13th century; Guillaume de Lorris drew upon it for the Roman de la rose. The Liber codifies the whole doctrine of courtly love, containing practically all the elements of the cult.