A letter from Adelaide of Turin and Susa (1049, July 4)

Translated letter:

In the thousand forty ninth year from the incarnation of our lord Jesus Christ on the fourth day of the month of July, eighth indiction, at the monastery of the protomartyr St. Stephen situated outside but near the city Genova[Janua], I Adelaide daughter of former marquess Manfred of good memory to be maintained, and spouse of Hermann, duke and marquess, I who have professed from my birth to live by Salic law, the present offerer and donator of this monastery said to those present whoever conferred something from their things on holy and venerable places according to the word of authority will receive a hundredfold in this world and further what is better will possess eternal life in the future and therefore I Adelaide give and offer from the present day to that monastery of St. Stephen for the soul of my father and mother and my uncle and my soul and mercy for my relatives these houses and all the things which I am seen to have by law/right in that place I bestow the portion that is called Villaregia, that is the houses, fields, vegetation, woods, pastures, banks, rock chasms (rupinis), aqueducts, vineyards, fig orchards, reeds, willows, the tree stands (?roboretis) in their entirety and this is the land connecting on one side with the embankment of Pompliana and reaches to the sea on the other side, the land of St. Siro is of that monastery from the upper head at the mouth of the Alps, to the lower road and the shore of the sea and if by my right things in that place named above or within those connected are found full and clear more than is read above through this charter of offering for the mercy of my soul from this day to that monastery of St. Stephen I give and I offer to the monastery of St. Stephen from this day(1) what I have there, and through the present charter of offering I confirm it moreover through the knife, the knotted straw, the glove, clod of earth, and branch of a tree(2) as a party of that monastery I make the delivering and investiture and I removed myself and guaranteed and by agreement I make a party of that monastery of St. Stephen and I leave it so that the abbots and monks who are ordained there at the time and serve God may make thence for their use and consumption from said land and they may do whatever they want for the mercy of my soul without any contradiction or machination from me and my heirs and descendants. If anyone truly which I do not believe will happen, if I or any of my heirs and descendants, far be it, or any suitable person should try to go against this charter of offering at any time or seek to break those things through any trick, then we would bring up that part against what we disputed and would incur many things, that is punishment of twenty pounds of the best gold and fifty weight of silver and we will renew what we can not vindicate. Present in this charter of offering is a firm persistence and it persists undestroyed under the supporting stipulation and parchment [?bergamela] with the inkstand, Odo notary of the holy palace raised the page about the land and handed over and asked to write in it he offered below confirming and reinforced with witnesses. This is enacted in the city of Albenga at the royal court. Sign by the hand of Bertha, countess, and her daughter Adelaid who asked that this charter of offering for their souls be done and it was read before them. Sign by the hand of Adelric Aldeprand, and Zunani and Unirard, all these witnesses according to Salic law. Sign by the hand of William Grassevert and Ghibert of St. Michael, witnesses. I, Odo, who as notary of the holy palace and scribe of this charter of offering completed and delivered it.

Original letter:

Anni ab incarnacione domini nostri Ihesu Xri milleximo quadragesimo nono quarto die mensis iulii indictione octaua monasterio sancti stephani protomartiris sito foris sed et prope ciuitate ianua ego adaleida filia quondam maginfredi marchionis bone memorie retinendo et coniux ermanni dux et marchio qui professa sum ex nacione mea lege uiuere salica offertrix et donatrix ipsius monasterii presens presentibus dixit quicquis in sanctis et uenerabilibus locis et suis aliquid contulerit rebus iuxta octori uocem in oc seculo centuplum accipiet insuper quo melius est in futuro uitam possidebit eternam et ideo quis ego adaleida dono et offero a presenti die in eodem monasterio sancti stephani pro anime pater et mater mee et auunculi mei et anime mee et parentibus meis mercede is sunt casis et omnibus rebus iuris mei quam habere uisa sum in loco effundo porciana ubi nuncupatur uillaregia hoc sunt casis campis ierbis siluis pascuis rupis rupinis aqueductibus uineis ficetis cannetis saletis roboretis in integrum et est ipsa terra per coherentias da una parte fosato de pompliana et pergit in mare da alia latere terra sancti siri et est ipsius monasterii de superiore capite alpe bocallo desubtus uia et litus maris et si amplius de meo iuri uel rebus in eodem loco suprascripto uel infra easdem coherendias plenum et uacuum inuentum fuerit quam supra legitur per hanc cartulam offersionis pro anime mee mercede de hac die in eodem monasterio sancti stephani dono et offero pro anime mee mercede ab hac die in eodem monasterio sancti stephani et per presentem cartem offersionis ibidem abendum confirmo insuper per cultellum fistucum notatum uuantonum et uuasonem terre atque ramum arboris a partem ipsius monasterii facio tradicionem et uestituram et ego exinde foris expoli et quarpiui et assento facio appartem ipsius monasterii sancti stephani abendo relinquo ita ut faciant exinde abbati et monachis qui pro tempore ibidem ordinati fuerint et deo deseruierint ad eadem usu et sumtu et de predicta terra faciant quicquid voluerint pro anime mee mercede sine omni mea et eredum ac proeredum meorum contradictione uel repetitione. si quis uero quo futuro esse non credo si ego uel eredum ac proeredum quod absint meorum seu quislibet aposita persona contra hanc cartam offersionis ire quandoque tentauerimus aut ea per quouis ingenium infrangere quesierimus tunc inferamus ad illam partem contra quod ex inde litem intulerimus multa quod est pena auro optimo librus uiginti argenti pondere quinquaginta et quod repeiarimus seu uindicare non ualeamus presens in hanc cartam offersionis diuturnis temporibus firma permancio adque persistat inconuulsa sub stipulacione subnixa et bergamela cum atramentario de terra eleuauit odo notarii sacri palacii tradidit et scribere rogauit in qua subter confirmantem testibusque obtulit roborandum. actum est hoc in ciuitate alibinganensis in loco a curte regia. Signum manibus berte comitisse et filie sue adaleide qui hanc cartam offersionis animarum suarum fieri rogauerunt et ea coram eis relecta est. Signum manibus adalricus aldeprando et zunanie et unirardi isti omnes legem uiuentes salica testes. Signum manibus uuilielmi grasseuertus et uuibertus de sancto michael testes. Ego odo qui supra notarius sacri palacii scriptor huius carte offersionis post traditam compleui et dedi.

Historical context:

Adelaide makes a donation to the monastery of St. Stephen of Genova from her possessions in Villareggia. The charter is rather difficult to read with odd spellings and structures and virtually no punctuation. I welcome any explanations, suggestions, or corrections (JF).

Scholarly notes:

1 The phrase is repeated in the text not quite verbatim. 2 These are symbolic objects handed over at the transfer of property. I am grateful to Adam Kosto for this explanation.

Printed source:

Historiae Patriae Monumenta, Chartarum, 6 (Augustae Taurinorum ex Officina Regia: 1853), cc.145-46.

Date:

1049, July 4