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When did the literary romance genre emerge in France?

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The literary romance genre emerged in France during the middle of the 12th century. Created by formally educated poets, these early works initially drew their subject matter from antiquity, including stories of Alexander the Great, Thebes, Aeneas, and Troy.1

By approximately 1150, Celtic legends began to capture the public imagination, further shaping the genre. The development of the romance was significantly influenced by the translation of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia regum Britanniae into the Roman de Brut (1155) by Wace, which introduced the Arthurian legend to continental Europe. Shortly thereafter, Chrétien de Troyes became the virtual founder of the sophisticated courtly romance, writing his influential works between about 1160 and 1185.12