François Bérenger de La Tour d'Albenas

Bérenger de La Tour d’Albenas was a French poet from Aubenas, probably born around 1515 and known to have lived after 1559. Modern reference sources note that the first name François is often attached to him, but at least one scholarly reassessment rejects that attribution, so it is safer to refer to him simply as Bérenger de La Tour d’Albenas.

He studied law in Toulouse and Bordeaux, while also connecting with poets of his time. His writing first appeared in Toulouse, then more prominently in Lyon during the 1550s, a major center of French Renaissance printing and literature.

His works include Le siècle d’or et autres vers divers, Choreïde, L’Amie des amies, and L’Amie rustique et autres vers divers. These books show a writer drawn to lyrical display, pastoral themes, and literary imitation, especially from Italian models such as Ariosto and Sannazaro.