This article reviews the Spanish sentimental novels preceding La Princesse de Clèves (1678), which enjoyed great success in France in its multiple and frequently editions and translations first in the 16th century and then throughout the 17th century. The author of the article sorts out slight hints, literary resources or basic narrative strategies of those remote novels which were emerging onto the scene within the new context of 17h century France so as to analyse the refined sophistication with which those resources were to be employed by the Countess de La Fayette. Other relevant contributions of this study concern the investigation of historical sources for the princess's lover and the comprehensive and innovative interpretation of the French masterpiece thanks to the discoveries related to its sources.