Lourenço
Jogral medieval

Biographical Note:

Minstrel, most probably portuguese, active in the second and third quarters of the 13th century. The data at our disposal regarding his biography are almost exclusively the ones that may be deduced from his compositions and those directed at him by other composers. Therefore, from his exchanges with João Garcia de Guilhade we can deduce that he must have been at his service (at least for a while). From these same compositions, but also from the remaining exchanges in which he took part, it can equally be deduced that he would have frequented the circle of Alfonso X’s Castillian court, apparently after he was forced to leave Portugal.
In addition to this indirect data, Resende de Oliveira1 quotes a document from the cartulary of Dom João Peres de Aboim, dated 1259, where, among the witnesses, is found one Lourenço “bofom” (buffoom), a character that may correspond to this minstrel. This date being coincident with what appears to be the biographical path of João Garcia de Guilhade, it’s possible, then, that Lourenço accompanied him upon his return to Portugal where, this being the case, he would have frequented the court of Afonso III.
As we mention in the biographical note of João Garcia de Guilhade, this troubadour bears witness, in 1270, to the will of one Lourenço Martins, husband of a certain Sancha Peres de Guilhade, probably a relative. The clear proximity between the troubadour and his minstrel makes attractive the hypothesis that this Lourenço Matins was the minstrel Lourenço. However, the very frequent cases of homonymy at the time would advise some prudence in this identification.

References

1 Oliveira, António Resende de (1994), Depois do espectáculo trovadoresco. A estrutura dos cancioneiros peninsulares e as recolhas dos séculos XIII e XIV, Lisboa, Edições Colibri.