Héloïse et Abailard by Jean-Baptiste Goyet (1829) - Public Domain Catholic Painting

Abelard and Héloïse were two individuals who lived in the 12th century and are known for their tragic love story. Abelard was a Catholic philosopher and theologian, while Héloïse was his student and later became his lover. Their relationship was scandalous at the time, as Abelard was a respected scholar and Héloïse was a young woman from a noble family. They eventually married in secret, but their marriage was short-lived as Héloïse's family disapproved and had Abelard castrated. Abelard became a monk and Héloïse became a nun. Despite their separation, they continued to exchange letters expressing their love and devotion to each other, which have been preserved and studied as important literary works.