 Some critics believe that the romance (other than the ending) is a "roman à clef" and that elements are based on true events.The "Châtelaine de Vergy" was apparently very popular in courtly circles.There exists as well a 15th-century prose version of the tale, and the plot was reused by Marguerite de Navarre in one of her "Heptameron" short stories (tale LXX).