A medieval European literary and cultural concept featuring idealized, often unrequited romantic devotion between a knight and a noble lady, typically involving elaborate rituals of service and worship from afar. This tradition emphasized spiritual and emotional rather than physical connection.
The term is a modern scholarly translation of medieval concepts like fin'amors (refined love) in Occitan literature. The tradition emerged in 12th-century southern France among troubadours and spread throughout European noble courts, codifying romantic behavior as a form of spiritual discipline.
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