A letter from Frederick II, Emperor (1220)

Translated letter:

Frederick, by God’s grace ever venerable king of the Romans, king of Sicily, to all those to whom this current letter will have come, his favor and all good will. May all know that we, always wishing to preserve the undiminished rights of our faithful and to bestow upon them the favor of our service, on the deliberation of our princes and of our faithful, revoke as void for just and legitimate reasons the judgment brought, in our solemn court established at Frankfurt, against the noble countess Joan of Flanders and of Hainaut concerning the loss of her land, which William count of Holland received from us in fealty, and we determine it to be void namely because in that time when the judgment was then against that same countess, due to danger of the roads and fear for her person she had no means of reaching our presence, and because the nobleman Ferdinand, her husband, count of Flanders and of Hainaut, was then held in captivity by the king of France. We, therefore, based on the equity of law restore the said countess Joan to all her properties and fealties, which her ancestors held from the empire, and return to their possession in demonstration of our favor, commanding strictly so that no one should presume to trouble her regarding these, or with audacious attempt to challenge her against the act of our royal majesty. These judgments have been pronounced in the year of our Lord’s incarnation 1220.1.

Original letter:

Fridericus Dei gratia Romanorum rex semper augustus, rex Sicilie, omnibus ad quos presens pagina pervenerit, gratiam suam et omne bonum. Noverint universi, quod nos, iura fidelium nostrorum semper volentes illibata conservare et eis gratie nostre favorem impertiri, de consilio principum et fidelium nostrorum sententiam in curia nostra sollempni apud Frankenevurt contra nobilem Flandrie et Hainonie comitissam Iohannam latam super abiudicatione terre sue, quam Willelmus comes Hollandie a nobis in feudum recepit, iustis et legitimis rationibus in irritum revocamus et decernimus [inanem], pro eo videlicet quod tempore illo, quando contra ipsam comitissam sententiatum fuit, propter viarum pericula et persone sue metum ad presentiam nostram facultatem non habuit accedendi, et quia vir nobilis Fernandus, maritus eius, comes Flandrie et Hainonie, tunc [in]e captione regis Francie detinebatur. Nos igitur de iuris equitate memoratam comitissam Iohannam omnibus bonis et feudis suis, que antecessores sui ab imperio tenuerunt, restituimus et in eorundem mittimus possessionem sub gratie nostre obtentu, districte precipientes ne quis ipsam in hiis molestare vel contra regie nostre maiestatis factam ausu temerario venire presumat. Acta sunt hec anno dominice incarnationis millesimo ducentesimo vicesimo. 1220

Historical context:

The emperor accepts the countess's argument that she was unable to do homage for her land while her husband was a prisoner in France because it would have been dangerous for her to travel alone.

Scholarly notes:

1. The translation of this letter was provided by Ashleigh Imus.

Printed source:

Oorkondenboek van Holland en Zeeland tot 1299, ed. A.C.F.Koch (Gravenhage: Martinus Nijhoo, 1970), ep.407. 1.593-94.

Date:

1220