A letter from Adelaide of Turin and Susa

Translated letter:

In the year of the incarnation of the lord 1039 [sic], first indiction, fourth epact,(1) seventeenth kalends of August. Lady Adelaide, countess, daughter of late Oldric Manfred with her sons, Peter and Amadeo, for the healing of her soul and of her relatives and of her husband Odo, has given to God and blessed Peter, prince of the apostles and to the brothers of Novalesa serving God there, a homestead that is in Giaglione that Martin, surnamed Brunus, cultivates, with all jurisdiction and all property of the homestead except only a third part of the harvest and wine and fruits of the trees that were  given to the abbey of St. Just without distraint.  She also confirmed another estate that they held there before by the same right by which she had conferred, and she confirmed the town of Camerletto and all its borders and the borough of Novalesa with all its mountains and plains and hunting areas that are from Lastadio on each side of the valley up to the plain of Mont Cinis as far as water can flow toward that valley, and she has prohibited that any toll be exacted by the men of the town of Novalesa or from (anything) purchasable at Susa, not in buying, selling, entering or exiting. In addition, she has made an agreement and gift of two parts of Lastadio of  services/rents, as well as from goods sold and with all jurisdiction from the inscribed stone up to the summit of the mountain and up to the water of the river Cinis and from the alms house of Mont Cinis with its jurisdiction. She has also given the Alp Clarania with its huts and the Alp Margheria and the Alp Clapey, with meadows, pastures, the alluvium of the river Cinis with banks and ports on each side and with fisheries with right and also jurisdiction of the road from the gift of lord Charles, most serene emperor, as it runs from that border which is called Lastadio and up to the larger lake of Mont Cenis and up to the fountain Varcinesca, retaining absolutely no jurisdiction or dominion there. But if anyone will infringe this charter sealed by our ring let him incur the curse of almighty God result, and let another seize his property, and let no one have mercy on his heir, and let him pay to the magistrate seventy marks of pure gold. Enacted in the city of Susa in a castle in the chamber of the lady countess in the presence of men whose names are read below. Lord Hingo, bishop of Asti, Bruno, viscount, Robald from Manciano. Tebald from Serra Lonca. Borrellus, overseer. Guillielmus, overseer of Susa. (2)

Original letter:

Anno ab incarnacione domini millesimo tricesimo nono indicione prima epacta quarta(1) xvii. kal. augusti. domna adeleida comitissa filia quondam odolrici magnifredi cum filiis suis et petro et amedeo pro remedio anime sue ac parentum suorum. et mariti sui oddonis dedit deo et beato petro apostolorum principi de noualicio et fratribus ibidem deo seruientibus mansum quod est in gallione quod colit martinus cognomine brunus cum omni districto et proprietate tocius mansi excepta tantum tercia parte messium et uini adque fructus arborum quod abbacie sancti iusti fuit datum absque districto confirmauit eciam aliud mansum quod ibi prius habebant eodem iure quo et suum contulerat et uillam camarleti et omnibus suis finibus confirmauit et burgum de noualicio cum omnibus montibus et planiciis adque uenacionibus que sunt de lastadio ex utraque parte uallis usque ad planiciem montis cinisii in quantum aqua posset deflui uersus ipsam uallem atque proibuit ne ab hominibus de burgo noualicii uel de uenale apud secusiam pro peagio aliquid exigeretur nec in emendo nec in uendendo neque in intrando neque in exeundo. Iterum fecit finem et donum de duabus partibus de lastadio tunc de seruiciis tunc de uendicionibus et omni districto a petra scripta usque ad uerticem montis et usque ad aquam fluuii ciniscle et de domo elemosinaria montis cinisii cum suo iure. dedit et alpem claraine cum suis mutandis atque alpem margerie et alpem claperii cum pratis pascuis aluium ciniscle fluminis cum ripis utriusque portis et piscacionibus cum iure eciam et districto strate ex dono domni Karoli serenissimi imperatoris ueluti manet ab illo termino qui nominatur lestadium et usque ad maiorem lacum montis cinisii et usque ad fontem uarcinescam nullum penitus districtum uel dominium ibi retinens. Si quis hanc cartam nostro anulo signatam infrangerit maledicionem omnipotentis dei consequatur et possessionem eius alter accipiat nec sit qui misereatur eredi eius et LXX marcas auri obtimi persoluat potestati. Actum in ciuitate secusie in castro in camera domine comitisse in presencia uirorum quorum nomina subter leguntur. + Domnus Hingo episcopus astensis. + Bruno uicecomes. + Robaldus de manciano. + Tebaldus de serra lonca. + Borrellus uillicus. + Vuillielmus uillicus de sesana. ( sigillo affisso )

Historical context:

Countess Adelaide confirms to the monastery of Novalesa many prior gifts and adds new ones, among which is a dwelling in Gallione.

Scholarly notes:

1. The editor notes that the document should be dated 1078, though the text gives 1039, given the epact and indiction, but suggests that it has been redone from the original for the monastery’s needs. The same charter was dated 1063 in the Miscellanea di storia italiana (Torino: Fratelli Bocca, v.40-41 (Torino, 1862), p.12, which notes that the charter is probably not a forgery, despite the mistake in date because the donation is witnessed by other documents. 2. This translation was provided by Ashleigh Imus.

Manuscript source:

Regii Archivii di Corte (Abbazia della Novalesa, m.1, n.24

Printed source:

Historia Patriae Monumenta, edita iussu Regis Caroli Alberti, Chartarum Tomus I (Augustae Taurinorum e Regio Typographeo, 1836), c.657-58, doc.391.  Also in Samuel Guichenon, L’Histoire Généalogique de la maison royale de Savoye  v.2 Preuves, p.8-9.

Date:

1078, July 16 or 1063