A letter from and Henry, marquis (1043, May 20)

Translated letter:

In the year of the incarnation of our lord Jesus Christ 1043, thirteenth kalends of June, eleventh indiction, to the monastery and canonry of St. Antonino which is constructed beyond the mountain in the valley which is called Nobilense. We, Henry, marquis, son of late William, also marquis, and wife Adelaide, countess, daughter of late Oldric of good memory, who was called Manfred, also marquis, have professed that as spouses we both live, from our birth, under Salic law. Moreover with that mentioned spouse consenting and confirming below the offerers and donors of that church, he, constant, told those present that it was perpetual. Whoever has conferred from his property anything on holy and venerable places will receive in this world a hundred-fold according to the word of Christ. Moreover, what is better is that he will possess eternal life. Therefore we, Henry, marquis, and Adelaide, countess, spouses, give and offer and through the present charter of donation, for reward of our souls and of the late noted Oldric, marquis and father of Adelaide herself, and of Bertha, countess, mother of the noted Adelaide, we confirm it to be held, that is the church with the lot where it stands, which was built in Val di Susa in the burg of St. Agatha and was consecrated in honor of the noted St. Antonino, and the grounds with all houses and all those things that we have understood to possess by our rights both within the above-noted burg of St. Agatha and without in all its territory and with all things set or placed by the noted late Manfred, marquis, and Bertha, countess, spouses, in our borders in perpetuity; moreover we place before a third part that belongs rightly to the said monastery, both with houses, grounds, vineyards with their fields, arable lands, meadows, grasses, pastures, forests, little woods with their fields, mills and fisheries cultivated and uncultivated, mountains and plains divided and undivided together with boundaries, borders, accesses and uses of waters and channels of waters lying near and appertaining, together with every right, for places and names of those things pertaining to those houses and things; moreover it will be found eternally that with the noted houses, grounds and all things with our aforesaid rights together with their accesses and rights of entry with superior and inferior things of their things in what manner they exist eternally from this today to the same monastery and rectory of St. Antonino for the reward and healing of our soul and of the late noted Manfred Oldric, that father and countess Bertrana, from the present day we give and offer and through the present charter of offering we confirm it to be held in that with proprietary name. In addition by the small knife, knotted straw, glove and piece of earth and branch of tree(1) we make lawful transfer and investiture to that church and we thereby have driven ourselves out and guaranteed and have made (ourselves) absent and for the property of that church eternally we relinquish making (it) thenceforth from the present day (for the) monks and canons who have been ordained there and those who from now on will be there and serve God, for their use and expense and whatever part of that church they will wish, with proprietary name without any contradiction or reclamation of us and our heirs and representatives of heirs. But if, which we do not believe will occur, we ourselves, Henry, marquis, and Adelaide, countess, spouses, God forbid, or any of our heirs or representatives of heirs or any person opposed will attempt at any time to go against this charter of offering or will seek to infringe it through any contrivance, also let us bring against that party, against which we have thenceforth brought suit, a significant penalty, that is one thousand ounces of pure gold, two thousand pounds of silver and we will renew what we cannot vindicate, but let this present charter of donation remain firm for long duration and persist unshaken with stipulation supported that we Henry, marquis and Adelaide, countess, spouses and our heirs and representatives of heirs will defend the noted donation that is read above for that same church forever from any man, which if we will not be able to defend or if (anyone) through any contrivance will seek to remove (it) from that basilica of St. Antonino (he) will restore double the noted donation to that basilica just as according to circumstance it will be improved or will be valued in judgment in similar place, and they embossed the parchment with ink, John, notary of the holy palace, they handed over the document to be written and received, which they confirmed below and offered (it) to witnesses to be strengthened. Enacted happily within the castle that is within the city of Turin near the gate of Susa. Sign by the hands of Henry, marquis, noted below, and Adelaide, countess, spouses who requested that this charter of donation be made and it was reviewed again. Sign by the hands of Otto of Bredino and Arnulf from the noted city and Everardus, son of late Gubieno, witnesses living under Salic law. Sign by the hands of Rotzo of Fauria and Adagnesius of Susa and lords and winemaker (?uinicel) Bruno called “beard” and his nephew, witnesses. I, John, notary of the holy palace, writer of this charter of donation completed and subsequently delivered it.(2)

Original letter:

Anno ab incarnacione domini nostri Ihu Xpi millesimo quadragesimo tercio tercio decimo kalendas iunii indictione undecima monasterio et canonica sancti Anthonini quod est constructum ultra montem in uale que dicitur nobilense. Nos Henricus marchio filius quondam uulielmi similiter marchioni et Adalena comitissa iugales filia quondam bo. me.[bonae memoriae] Oldrici qui uocatus fuit Magnifredi itemque marchioni qui professi sumus nos iugales ambo ex natione nostra lege uiuere salicha. Ipso namque iugale memorato consentiente et subter confirmante offertores et donatores ipsius ecclesie perpetuus presentibus dixit. Ut quisquis in sanctis ac uenerabilibus locis ex suis aliquod contulerit rebus iusta actoris uocem in hoc seculo centuplum accipiet. Insuper quod melius est uitam possidebit eternam. Ideoque nos henricus marchio et adalena comitissa iugalibus donamus et offerrimus et per presentem cartam offersionis pro anime nostre et condam infrascripti olderici marchioni siue adalene ipsi genitor adque bertrane cometisse genitricis infrascripta addalena mercedis in eo habendum confirmamus id est ecclesia una cum area ubi extat que est edifficata in uale secuxia in burgo sancte agate et est consecrata in honore infrascripti sancti anthonini siue cunctis casis sediminas et omnibus rebus illis iuris nostris quas habere uisi sumus tam infra in suprascripto burgo sancte agathe et de foris in eius territorio omnia et ex omnibus sicuti iufrascriptoriun condam magnifredi marchioni et bertrane cometisse iugales uel per nostrorum missis terminum miserunt in infinitum preter anteponamus tertia pars que ad monasterio sancti iusti pertinet ut dictum est tam casis sediminibus et uineis cum areis suarum terris arabilis pratis ierbis pascuis siluis buscaleis cum areis suarum molendinis et piscationibus coltis et incoltis montibus et planis diuisis et indiuisis una cum finibus terminibus accessionibus et usibus aquarum aquarumque ductibus una cum omni iure ac iacentiis et pertinentiis earum rerum pro locis et uocabulis ab ipsis casis et rebus pertinentibus inuentum fuerit in infinitum que autem infrascriptis casis sediminas et omnibus rebus iuris nostris predictis una cum accessionibus et ingressoris earum cum superioribus et inferioribus earum rerum qualiter sunt in infinitum ab hac die in eodem monasterio et canonica sancti anthonini pro mercede et remedio anime nostre et condam infrascriptorum magnifredi olderici ipsius genitoris siue bertrane cometisse a presenti die donamus et offerrimus et per presentem cartam offersionis proprietario nomine in ea habendum confirmamus. insuper per cultellum fistucum notatum uuantonem et uasonem terre adque ramum arboris ad ipsam ecclesiam legiptimam facimus tradditionem et uestituram et nos exinde foris expulimus et uuarpiuimus et absentes fecimus et ad proprietatem ipsius ecclesie ab eterno relinquimus facientes exinde a presenti die monachi et canonici qui ibi nunc ordinati sunt et que de hic in antea fuerint et deo seruierint ad eorum usum et sumtu siue pars ipsius ecclesie proprietario nomine quicquid uoluerint sine omni nostra et heredum ac proheredumque nostrorum contradictione uel repetitione. Si quis uero quod futurum esse non credimus si nos ipsi henricus marchio et adalena iugalibus comitisse quod absumus aut ullus de heredibus ac proheredibus nostris seu quelibet opposita persona contra hanc cartam offersionis ire quandocumque tentauerimus aut eam per quocumque ingenio infringere quesierimus et inferamus ad illam partem contra quam exinde littem intulerimus multa quod est pena auro obtimo uncias mile argenti ponderas duo millia et quod repetierimus et uindicare non ualeamus set presens hanc cartam offersionis diuturnis temporibus firma permaneatque persistat inconuulsa cum stipulations subnixa et ad nos henricus marchio et adalena iugalibus cometissa nostrisque heredibus ac proheredibus ad eamdem ecclesiam infrascripta offersio qua supra legitur in infinitum ab homine omni defensare quod si defendere non potuerimus aut si per quocumque ingenio de ipsa basilica sancti anthonini subtrahere quesierit in duplum infrascripta offersio ad ipsam basilicam restituerit sicuti pro tempore fuerit meliorata aut ualuerit sub extimacione in consimili loco et bergamena cum attramentario de terra eleuarunt paginam iohannes notarius sacri palatii tradiderunt ad scribendum et preceperunt in qua subter confirmauerunt testibusque obtulerunt roborandum. Actum infra castrum quod est infra ciuitate thaurini sub porta seusina feliciter. Signum ++ manibus infrascripta henricus marchioni et adalena iugalibus cometissa qui hanc cartam offersionis fieri rogauerunt iterumque relecta est. Signum +++ manibus ottone de bredino et arenulphus de infrascripta ciuitate sen euerardi filius quondam gubieno lege uiuentes salicha testes. Signum ++++ manibus rotzo de fauria et adagnesius de segusia seu dominici adque uinicel bruno uocatus barbam et nepote testes. Ego iohannes notarius sacri palatii scriptor huius carte offersionis post traddita compleui et dedi.

Historical context:

The marques Henry and his wife Adelaide give to the Canonry of St. Anthony in the Nobilense valley the church of St. Agatha in the valley of Susa with all its appurtenances. (As usual with the documents from this collection, the language is difficult and the punctuation minimal.)

Scholarly notes:

1. These are traditional symbolic objects handed over at the transfer of property. I am grateful to Adam Kosto for this explanation. 2. This translation was provided by Ashleigh Imus.

Manuscript source:

Da copia autentica del i549. Regii Archivii di Corte.

Printed source:

Historia Patriae Monumenta, edita iussu Regis Caroli Alberti, Chartarum Tomus I (Augustae Taurinorum e Regio Typographeo, 1836), c.550-52, doc.322.

Date:

1043, May 20