On November 5th, 2025, the UC Berkeley Institute of European Studies welcomed Professor Miriam Cabré Ollé to campus to present a lecture entitled “Creators, Influencers and Haters: How Catalan Troubadours Helped Shape Today’s World,” Professor Cabré teaches Romance Literature at the University of Girona in Catalonia, Spain, where she specializes in troubadour culture, having published extensively on their heritage and medieval culture. Professor Cabré was introduced by Paulina León, an Assistant Professor of Early Modern Spain at UC Berkeley, to an audience of 15 individuals in 201 Philosophy Hall.
Troubadours were at the forefront of cultural and arts advancements in the middle ages, seen as highly-educated “singers
of love.” To open the talk, Professor Cabré discussed the dissemination of their culture across Europe, stemming from the South of France. The troubadours were united by their shared use of Occitan, a Romance literary language. Notably, William the 9th of Aquitaine is thought to be the first troubadour, who utilized poetry and song, “desperately looking for a niche identity” to claim. Between the late 11th and 13th centuries, the use of poetry by the troubadour
s to convey love and desire developed intensely.
Professor Cabré emphasized the parallels between troubadour and present day cultures, stressing the lasting impact of their influence. Staged brawls between nobles were known to be planned in advance to boost reputations and increase popularity, with these medieval ‘beefs’ rivalling the PR stunts of today. “Haters” plagued their world, just as internet trolls do to ours. For example, Guillem de Berguedà, who wrote “horrible,” fraudulent attacks in the hopes of spreading misinformation, was an early utilizer of fake news. The troubadours were the original influencers and content creators, Cabré argued, successfully pushing deliberate, tailored messages, bringing them devout followers within their niches.
In her concluding remarks, Professor Cabré went beyond general parallels and referenced direct modern day usages of troubadour culture, citing Bob Dylan’s appearances at the Troubadour club in London, the influence of “The Romance of Flamenca” on singer Rosalía’s concept album El Mal Querer, and recent opera performances of the troubadour-era Eaten Heart Story. To close, Cabré provided a call to action for attendees, encouraging all to “be influenced by the troubadours,” which was shortly followed by a brief Q&A between Professor Cabré and the audience.