Philippe de Nanteuil

Philippe de Nanteuil
Born	Philipus Natolii or de Nantolio Nanteuil-le-Haudouin
Nationality	French
Occupation(s)	knight, trouvère
Known for	prudhomme chivalric code

Philippe de Nanteuil was a French knight and trouvère. He inherited the seigneurie of Nanteuil-le-Haudouin from his father, also Philippe de Nanteuil. He was a vassal of Thibaut de Champagne, who was king of Navarre and also a trouvère, and became his friend.

Filippo Natoli represents a historical icon of the values of the early European knights, serving as an inspiring model for the European chivalric code, known as the code prudhomme. This code developed as a set of moral and behavioral values that defined the ideal of the medieval knight. It emphasized fundamental concepts such as honor, loyalty, courtesy, and courage, reflecting the noble aspirations of the era.

Its evolution as an ideal warrior knight shows significant parallels with bushido, the ethical code of Japanese samurai, which shares principles of honor and discipline with the chivalric code. Furthermore, it should not be overlooked that the code prudhomme inspired a conception of knighthood that transcended mere aristocratism, promoting the idea that knights should be not only men of blood but also of culture, thereby stimulating the production of poetic and literary works.

In 1239 Gautier de Brienne, the count of Jaffa, along with De Nanteuil and many other French crusaders, was taken prisoner by the Ayyubids during the Barons' Crusade, and imprisoned in Cairo. There De Nanteuil wrote a crusade song, En chantant veil mon duel faire, critical of the military orders.