A letter from Adelaide of Turin and Susa (1043/1044)

Translated letter:

In the name of the lord God and our savior Jesus Christ, Henry, king by God’s grace, in the year of his rule, with God well-disposed, fifth kalends of June, twelfth indiction. To the monastery of holy Mary mother of God, that was built in Cavour. I, Adelaide, countess, daughter of the late Oldric who is called Manfred, and wife of Henry, have declared to live from my birth under Salic law. With Henry, my spouse, consenting and confirming I spoke what is below to those present. Whoever has conferred anything from his property on holy and venerable places will receive in this world a hundred-fold according to the word of Christ. and in addition, what is better is that he will possess eternal life. Therefore I, Adelaide, countess, as above, give and confer from the present day for reward of my soul, by name a chapel that was built in honor of St. John, with all things belonging to the same chapel and two dwellings likewise with all things belonging to them and that are directed and labored by Adam and Giselprandus, freemen, and one plot which I understood to possess by my right in the place and estate of Carmagnola, and that plot is in measurement, according to tabulas, 76.(1) A path joins the same on two sides; on the third is John’s land; on the fourth side is the land of the above-noted Adelaide and others. Moreover I give and offer eternally from this day to the same monastery of St. Mary the noted chapel with all things belonging to it and the aforesaid dwellings and likewise all things belonging to them and the aforesaid plot of my above-said right together with access and right of entry and with their higher and lower things designated as above in measure it is read and with what lies beside it, touching it, and through the present charter of donation I confirm it to be made vacant by the small knife, knotted straw, glove, [a clod] of earth and branch of tree(2) and I thereby have driven myself out, have guaranteed with myself absent, I leave the part to be held by that monastery or to whom it shall be given, thereby from the present day with proprietary right by name whatever it will wish without any contradiction or reclamation from me, my heirs or representatives of my heirs. But if, which I do not believe will occur, I, Adelaide, countess, or any of my heirs or representatives of heirs or any person opposed will attempt at any time to go against this charter of donation or will seek to infringe it through any contrivance, then let us inflict on that party, against which we have brought suit, great penalty, which is one hundred ounces of pure gold, two hundred 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 I, the above countess Adelaide and my heirs will defend forever from any man the noted donation as read above for the party of that monastery or to whomever the party of the monastery has given it. If we will not be able to defend the party of that monastery thenceforth (or if) we seek to remove anything through any contrivance then we will restore double the same offering as is read above as according to circumstance it will be improved or valued in judgment in a similar place, and I have embossed the parchment with ink from the earth. I, Aribertus, notary of the sacred palace have sought to write and have delivered the document, on which confirming below, and offered it to be strengthened by witnesses. Enacted happily in the villa that is called Pinerolo. Sign by the hand noted below of Henry who has consented as above to the same Adelaide his spouse. Sign by the hand noted below of Adelaide who requested that this charter of donation be made and to whom it was released. Sign by the hands of Gerard and Albericus both witnesses living under Salic law. Sign by the hands of Godfrey, Martin, Peter, Azo, and Tezemanus, witnesses. I, as above Aribertus, notary of the holy palace, writer of this charter of donation, completed and gave it, subsequently delivered.(3)

Original letter:

In nomine domini dei et salvatoris nostri Ihu Xpi Enricus gratia dei rex anno regni eius deo propicio quinto kal. iunii indictione duodecima. Monasterio sancte dei genetricis marie quod est constructa in loco caburo. Ego Adalaxia comitisa filia quondam odolricus qui uocatur Magenfredi et conius Enricus que professa sum ex nacionem meam legem uiuere saliha. ipsonamque Enricus iugale meo mi consenciente et supter confirmante presentibus disi. Quisquis in sanctis ac uenerabilibus locis ex suis aliquot contullerit rebus iusta octoris uocem in oc seculo centuplum accipiad insuper et quod melius est uitam possidebit eterna. Ideoque ego que supra adalaxia comitisa dono et aufero a presenti die pro anime mee mercedem nominatiue capella una que est edificata in honore sancti ioanni cum omnibus rebus ad eandem capellam pertinentibus et mansos duos similique cum omnibus rebus ad eos pertinentibus et sunt rectos et laboratos per adam et giselprandi liberi omini et sedimen unum iuris mei quam habere uisa sum in loco et fundo caramagnola et est ipsum sedimen per mensura iusta tabulas septuasex ( sic ). coeret eidem de duabus partibus uia. de tercia terra ioanui. de quarta parte terra suprascripta adalaxa sibique alie sunt coerentes. Quod autem infrascripta capella cum omnibus rebus ad se pertinentibus et predictos mansos similique cum omnibus rebus ad eos pertinentes siue prefato sedimen iuris mei supradictis una cum accessione et increso seu cum superioribus et inferioribus earum qualiter supra mensura et coerencias in aliquod designatis legitur in infinitum ab ac die in eodem monasterio sancte marie dono et offero et per presentem cartam offersionis ibidem abendum confirmo faciendum per cultellum fistucum notatum uantonem . . . . . terreque ramum arboris et me exinde foris expulli uuarpiui et apsente me fecit pars ipsius monasterio aut cui pars ipsius monasterio dederit abendum relinquo faciendum exinde a presenti die iure proprietario nomine quicquit uolueritis sine omni mea et eredum ac pro eredumque meorum tradictione uel repetitione. Si quis vero quod futurum esse non credo si ego ipsa adalaxa comitissa quod apsi aut ullus de eredibus ac pro eredibus meis seu quislibet oposita persona contra hanc cartam offersionis ire quandoque tentauerimus aut eam per couis ingenium infrangere quesierimus. tunc inferamus ad illam partem contra quam exinde litem intullerimus multa que est pena auri optimi uncias centi . arsenti ponderas duocenti. et quod repetierimus et uindicare non ualeamus . set presens carta offersionis dioturnis temporibus firma permanea que persistad inconuulsa cum stipulacione supnixa et ad me que supra adalaxa comitissa meique eredes pars ipsius monasterio aut cui pars ipsius monasterio dederit infrascripta offersio qualiter supra legitur in infinitum ab omni omine defensare . quot si defendere non potuerimus pars ipsius monasterio exinde aliquot per covis ingenium supraere quesierimus tunc in duplum eadem offersio ut supra legitur restituamus sicut pro tempore fuerit melioratis aut maluerint super estimacione in consimile loco et bergamena cum actramentaria de terra elleuaui pagina ariberti notarii sacri palacii tradidi et scribere rogaui in qua supter confìrmas testibusque optullit roborandam. Hactum in uilla que dicitur pinariolo. feliciter. Signum + manu infrascripto Enricus qui eidem adalaxa conius sua consensi ut supra. Signum + manu infrascripta adalaxa que anc cartam offersionis fieri rogaui. et eique relecta est. Signum ++ manuum girardi et albericus ambo lesem uiuentes .... liha testes. Signum ++++ manuum goffredi et martini et petri et azo et tezemano testes. Ego qui supra aribertus notarius sacri palacii scriptor uius carte offersionis post tradite complevi et dedi.

Historical context:

Adelaide, countess, with the consent of her husband Henry, marquis, gives to the monastery of St. Mary of Cavour the chapel of S. John of Carmagnola with two dwellings and a plot. The document has little punctuation and occasional odd spelling and grammatical forms.

Scholarly notes:

1. According to Du Cange, a tabula is a unit of agrarian measurement, related to a pertica, a portion of land measured out. 2. These are traditional symbolic objects handed over at the transfer of property. I am grateful to Adam Kosto for this explanation. 3. The translation was provided by Ashleigh Imus.

Manuscript source:

Dall’originale. Regii Archivii di Corte (Abbazia di Cavour, m.1)

Printed source:

Historiae Patriae Monumenta, edita iussu Regis Caroli Alberti, Chartarum Tomus I (Augustae Taurinorum e Regio Typographeo, 1836), c557-59, doc.327.

Date:

1043/1044