Toulouse, Nimes under the domaine of Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine) retreated in this region. In addition, the leisure class, the wealthy, and the self-sufficient society discovered a new craze in this area. The areas courts attracted intellectuals from all over, as the South was more liberal and pluralistic, with Arabs, Jews and Byzantines being among the residents of the area. Perhaps, even the men outnumbered the women in South France.
Eleanor of Aquitaine brought the ideals of courtly love from Aquitaine