A letter from Joan of Constantinople, countess of Flanders (1229, May)

Translated letter:

To the venerable father dearest in Christ by God’s grace bishop of Utrecht, Joan countess of Flanders and Hainaut, greeting and will intended always toward gracious purpose and allegiance/obedience. May your venerable paternity know that, outside the monastery of the nuns of Ghent, which the lord count of Flanders and I have called the haven of blessed Mary, and where we have recently had begun a certain hospital, and we love those places according to God with particular fondness and desire to promote them; therefore we affectionately request your benevolence as much as we can, so that you desire to promote with the mercy of God the affairs of the aforesaid places and of the monastery of Hertogenbosch, which we have recently had begun, and that you deign to hear benevolently the messengers of those same houses, when they will have come to you and asked you, beseeching from our side, for honorable affairs, so that the lord count and I may be held to be specially obliged toward your reverence. For whatever will have been devoted to the mentioned houses, we wish to ascribe the whole deed to us. Dated in the year of the Lord 1229 in the month of May.(1)

Original letter:

Reverendo patri in Xristo karissimo Dei gratia Trajectensi episcopo J[ohanna], Flandrie et Hanonie comitissa, salutem et paratam semper ad beneplacitum et obsequia voluntatem. Noverit vestra reverenda paternitas, quod dominus comes Flandrie et ego extra Gandavum monasterium monialium, quod portum beate Marie vocavimus, et ibidem hospitale quoddam nuper fecimus inchoari et loca ilia speciali affectu secundum Deum diligimus et cupimus promoveri; benignitatem igitur vestram quantum possimus affectuose rogamus, quatinus negotia predictorum locorum ac monasterii de Bosco, quod nos etiam dudum fecimus inchoari, cum Dei et nostra misericordia promovere velitis et nuntios earundem domuum, cum ad vos venerint et pro honestis negociis vos ex parte nostra supplicando rogaverint, ita benigne exaudire dignemini ut dominus comes et ego erga vestram reverentiam teneamur esse specialiter obligati. Quicquid enim fuerit domibus memoratis impensum, totum reputare volumus nobis factum. Datum anno Domini M°CC°XX° nono, mense Maio.

Historical context:

The countess asks the bishop to agree to the additions she and her husband have begun to make to the monastery of St. Mary and allow them to assume full responsibility for them.

Scholarly notes:

1 This translation was provided by Ashleigh Imus.

Printed source:

Johanna van Constantinopel, Gravin van Vlaanderen en Henegouwen ed. Theo Luykx, Verhandelingen van de Koninklijke Vlaamsche Academie voor Wetenschappen, Letteren en Schoone Kunsten van Belgie, Klasse der Letteren, VIII.5 (1946), 556-57, ep.27.

Date:

1229, May