A letter from Adelaide of Turin and Susa (1072, March 16)

Translated letter:

In the year of the incarnation of our lord Jesus Christ 1072, seventeenth kalends of April, tenth indiction. To the monastery of holy Mary established in the village of Caramagna under the rule of abbess Elizabeth. [I] Adelaide, countess, daughter of the late Manfred, marquis, (who) have professed to live from my birth under Salic law, offerer and donor of that monastery, said to those present If anyone has conferred anything from his property on holy and venerable places he will receive in the future world a hundred-fold according to the word of Christ and he will possess eternal life. Therefore, I, Adelaide, countess, as above, give and confer from the present day to the same monastery of holy Mary, for reward of my soul all plots named I hold with buildings on them and arable land or meadows and vineyards and forests with their grounds and all other things with my rights as were seen to be held by Benedicto and Primo in the place and territory of Carmagnola and in the episcopate and county of Turin and the Italian kingdom except one tenant dwelling that formerly was once in the estate and arable land as … is said to hold. Likewise I, Adelaide, countess, as above, give and confer to the same monastery of holy Mary for reward of my soul, a plot by name with buildings on it, that I am understood to possess by my right, in the aforesaid villa of Caramagnola and it is by just measure, … the land of the aforesaid monastery of holy Mary is adjacent to it on two sides, and on the third a path, and on the fourth common pasture of the neighbors if there are any adjoining. Moreover, all the above-noted plots with buildings in those holdings and the aforesaid arable land and the aforesaid meadows and afore-named vineyards … with their grounds and all the aforesaid other things mine by right…I have placed before in the same place and territory as read above together with accesses and entries and with higher and lower things as read above entirely from this day I give and confer to the same monastery of holy Mary for reward of my soul and through the present charter of donation I confirm the holding. Moreover by the small knife, knotted straw, glove and piece of earth and branch of tree(1) for the share of that monastery thereby I make legitimate transfer and investiture and I thereby have driven myself out, guaranteed and from the present to the aforesaid monastery I relinquish my holding making it perpetually thenceforth from the present day (for) a part of that monastery or of whomever the monastery will give, by proprietary name whatever they will without any contradiction or reclamation by me and my heirs and 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 thenceforth brought suit, great penalty, which is forty ounces of pure gold, eighty pounds of silver, and we will renew what we cannot claim, but let this present charter of donation remain and endure firm and unshaken with stipulation supported. And I, Adelaide, countess, as above, together with my heirs and representatives of heirs, will defend from any man, forever, the abovesaid offering, as read above, for the aforesaid monastery or to whomever that same monastery will give, which if we cannot defend or if we seek to withdraw anything thereby from the aforesaid monastery, through any contrivance, then we will restore twofold the same donation, as read above, to the aforesaid monastery or to whomever the same monastery will give it, as according to circumstance it will be improved or they will value in judgment in a similar place, and I, Peter, notary of the holy palace, embossed the parchment with ink from the earth…s/he sought in confirming which below to be strengthened by witnesses. Enacted happily in the villa of Caramagnola in ... in the monastery of the church of Cavour. Sign by the hand of the above-noted Adelaide, countess who requested that this charter of donation be made for reward of her soul, as above. Sign by the hands of Ribaldus and Adalbertus witnesses living under Salic law. Sign by the hands of Litranus and Primo and Vitelmus viscount and witnesses of [Guido?] I, Peter, notary of the holy palace, as above, writer of this charter of donation completed and gave it, subsequently delivered.(2)

Original letter:

Anno ab incarnatione domini nostri Ihu Xpi millesimo septuagesimo secundo septimo decimo kalendas aprilis indictione decima monasterio sancte marie ordinate in uico caramagna sup regimine elisabed abatipse adalegia cometipsa filia quondam magnifredi marchionis que professa sum ex nacione mea lege uiuere salica offertrix et donatrix ipsius monasterii presentibus disi. si quis in sanetis ac uenerabilibus locis ex suis aliquit contulerit rebus iusta octoris uocem in futuro seculo centuplum accipiet uitamque posidebit eternam. ideoque ego que supra adalegia comitipsa dono et confero a presente die eidem monasterio sancte marie pro mercede anime mee nominatiue cunta sedimina cum edificiis super ipsa abente et tam arabilem seu prati siue uineas et siluas cum areis suarum adque alias omnes res illas iuris mei sicut a benedicto et primone tenere uidetur in loco et teritorio caramaniole siue episcopatu et comitatu torinensi adque italicum regnum excepto mansaricium unum quod quondam fuid de uilicacione et teram arabilem sicut . . . . .dicitur tenere. Similiterque dono et confero ego que supra adalegia cometipsa in eandem monasterio sancte marie pro mercede anime mee nominatiue sedimen unum cum edificiis super ipsum . . . . .iuris mei quod habere uisa sum in predicta uilla caramaniole et est pro mensura iusta . . . . . coere ei de duabus partibus terra predicti monasterii sancte marie et de tercia parte uia de quarta pascua comuna uicinorum si ibique alii sunt coerentes. Que autem suprascripta cuncta sedimina cum edificiis in ipsis abentibus et prefatam terram arabilem seu predicta prata siue prenominatas uineas . . . cum areis suarum adque iam dictas alias omnes res iuris mei .... anteposui in eundem loco et territorio ut legitur superius dictas una cum accessionibus et angressibus seu cum superioribus et inferioribus earum rerum qualiter superius legitur in integrum ab ac die in eandem monasterio sancte marie dono et confero pro mercede anime mee et per presentem cartulam ofersionem ibidem abendum confirmo insuper per cultellum festucam nodatam uuato et uuasonem adque per ramum arboris ad partem ipsius monasterii exinde legitimam facio traditionem et inuestituram et me exinde foris expulli uuarpiui et a presenti predicto monasterio perpetuum abendum relinco faciendum exinde a presente die pars ipsius monasterii aut cui pars eiusdem monasterii dederit proprietario nomine quidquid uoluerint sine omni mea et eredum ac pro eredumque meorum contradicione uel repeticione. Si quis uero quod futurum esse non credo si ego ipsa adalegia quod apsi aut alius de eredibus ac proeredibus meis seu quelibet opposita persona contra anc cartam offersionem ire quandoque tentauerimus aud eam per couis igenium infrangere quesierimus tunc inferamus ad illam partem contra quam exinde litem intullerimus multa que est pena auri opti uncias quadraginta argenti pondera octoginta et quod repecierimus uendicare non ualeamus set presens anc cartam ofersionem firmam permanead adque persistad inconuulsa cum stipulacione subnixa. Et ego qui supra adalegia cometipsa una cum meis eredibus ac proeredibus predicto monasterio aud cui pars eiusdem monesterii dederit suprascriptam offersionem qualiter superius legitur in infinitum ab omni omine defensare quod si defendere non potuerimus aud si predicto monasterio ex inde aliquid per couis ingenium suptraere quesierimus tunc in dublum eadem ofersionem ut supra legitur predicto monasterio restituamus aut cui pars eiusdem monasterium dederit sicut pro tempore fuerit melioratum aud ualuerit sub estimacione in consimile loco et bergamela cum tramentario de tera leuaui petrus nodtarius sacri palacii ... . rogauit in qua supter confirmans testibusque optulit roborandam. Actum in uilla caramaniole in . . . . .monasterio caburrensi ecclesie feliciter. Signum + manus suprascripte adelegie cometipse que anc cartulam ofesionem pro mercede anime sue fieri rogauit ut supra. Signum +++ manuum ribaldi et adalberti seu salici lege uiuentes salica testes. Signum +++ manuum litrani et primonis seu uuitelmi uicecomitis atque uuidonis testes. [Gui?] Ego qui supra petrus notarius sacri palacii scriptor uius cartulam offersionis post tradita compleui et dedi.

Historical context:

Countess Adelaide donates to the monastery of Caramagna property located in the territory of Carmagnola in the county of Turin.

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 translations was provided by Ashleigh Imus.

Manuscript source:

Orig. Regii Archivii di Corte, abb. di Caramagna, m 1.

Printed source:

Historia Patriae Monumenta, edita iussu Regis Caroli Alberti, Chartarum Tomus I (Augustae Taurinorum e Regio Typographeo, 1836), c.630-32, doc. 375.

Date:

1072, March 16