A letter from Adelaide of Turin and Susa (1078, October 26)

Translated letter:

In the year of the incarnation of our lord Jesus Christ 1078, seventh kalends of November, first indiction. To the monastery of the holy and chaste mother of God, virgin Mary, in the place which is called Pinerolo, constructed near the church of St. Veranus, where now lord Ardwin, by God’s providence, is known to preside as abbot. I, Adelaide, countess and daughter of the late Manfred, marquis, of renowned memory, who have professed to live from my birth under Salic law, offerer and donor of the aforesaid monastery, said 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 moreover what is better is that he will possess eternal life. Therefore, I, Adelaide, countess, as above, for reward and healing of my soul and for the souls of all my relatives and neighbors and of the faithful deceased, give and offer from the present day to the aforesaid monastery of holy Mary my whole portion, which is half of that court in Pinerolo with half of a castle and its fortifications constructed there with churches, titles, chapels built within the territory of that court as they belong completely or in part to my portion and exist with my rights, and with other things, both my seigneurial houses and the appropriate offices, with other buildings with plots, vineyards with their grounds, arable lands, meadows, pastures, woods greater and lesser with their grounds, tolls to be exacted, and other guard services and conditions thereby by right and with other territories in the mountains and plains and all things that belong to that portion of mine of that court and (that) exist with my rights eternally, as was said, both cottages of the castle with churches, houses, buildings, vineyards with their grounds, plots, arable lands, meadows, pastures, forests, workshops, banks, rocks and marshes, mills, threshing floors, fulling-mills, mountains, plains and mountains, markets, complaints/indictments and tolls thereby to be exacted, things cultivated and uncultivated, divided and undivided together with borders, boundaries, accesses and uses of waters and channels of waters adjacent and belonging to them with every right according to places and names pertaining to that portion of mine entirely. Moreover I give, cede, and confer, from the present day, forever, from this day to the same monastery of holy Mary that half of the aforesaid court at Pinerolo with all things belonging to that half of my right, said above, together with accesses and rights of entry and with its higher and lower things as read above and through the present charter of donation I confirm it to be held there. Moreover by the small knife, knotted straw, glove and piece of earth and branch of tree(1) to the aforesaid monastery I thereby make legitimate transfer and investiture and I thereby have driven myself out, guaranteed and I have made myself absent and the ownership of that monastery I relinquish it to be held, thereby making (it) over from the present day to that monastery or to whomever that monastery will give (it), with proprietary name whatever they will without any contradiction or reclamation by me and my heirs and representatives of heirs. But if, which I do not believe will occur, I, as above Adelaide, countess, God forbid, 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 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 endure unshaken with stipulation supported. And I, as above, Adelaide, countess, together with my heirs and representatives of heirs, promise to defend from any man forever concerning the aforesaid things as read above, of the aforesaid monastery of holy Mary or whomever the monastery will give (it), which if we cannot defend or if we seek to withdraw through any contrivance anything thereby from the aforesaid monastery or whomever the same monastery will give (it), then let us restore those things in twofold to the aforesaid monastery, as according to circumstance they will be improved or they will value in judgment in a similar places, and I have embossed the parchment with ink from the earth. given to Giselbertus, notary of the holy palace, asked him to write the document, confirming which, he offered it to be strengthened below. Enacted happily in the aforesaid place, Pinerolo. Sign by the hand of that Adelaide, countess, who requested that this charter of donation be made and to whom it was relinquished. Lord Cunibertus, bishop of Turin and of those churches of St. Donatus and of holy Mary has confirmed and corroborated this charter in my hand and (that of) Adelaide, said countess, in good faith, and without any reward, for reverence of blessed Peter, prince of the apostles, under whose law the whole monastery of Pinerolo stands, he praised, donated, and offered and conceded forever without any condition the aforesaid churches on the part of the monastery. Signs of the hands of Roger and Walfred, witnesses living under Salic law. Signs of the hands Amezo, Arninus, Aymonis, Rubaldus, Opizon, witnesses. I, as above Giselbertus, notary of the holy palace, writer of this charter of donation completed and gave it, subsequently delivered.(2)

Original letter:

Anno ab incarnacione domini nostri Ihu Xpi milleximo septuagesimo octauo septimo kalendas nouembris indictione prima. Monasterio sancte dei genitricis et intemerate uirginis marie in loco qui pinariolo uocatur prope ecclesiam sancti uerani constructo ubi nunc domnus arduinus dei prouidentia abbas preesse dignoscitur. Ego adelegida cometissa et filia quondam inclite memorie maginfredi marchionis que professa sum ex nacione mea lege uiuere salica offertrix et donatrix predicti monasterii presentibus dixi. quisquis in sanctis ac in uenerabilibus locis ex suis aliquit contulerit rebus iusta auctoris uocem in hoc seculo centuplum accipiet insuper et quod melius est uitam possidebit eternam. Ideoque ego que supra adelegida cometissa pro mercede et remedio anime mee atque pro animabus omnium parentum et propinquorum meorum siue fidelium defunctorum dono et offero a presenti die in predicto monasterio sancte marie integram meam portionem que est medietas de ista curia pinariolo cum medietate de castro et eius munitionibus in ea constructo cum ecclesiis titulos capellis infra territorium ipsius curie edificatis sicut aut integre ant pro parte ad ipsam meam portionem pertinent et mei iuris sunt atque cum aliis rebus tam meis dominicis domibus quam officinis ibi conuenientibus quam ceteris edificiis cum sediminibus uineis cum areis suis terris arabilibus pratis pascuis siluis maioribus ac minoribus cum areis suis teloneis aliisque excubiis et conditionibus iure inde exigendis siue cum territoriis aliis in montibus et planis et rebus omnibus queque ad ipsam meam portionem de ista curia pertinent et mei iuris sunt in infinitum ut dictum est tam casis castri ecclesiis domibus edificiis uineis cum areis suis sediminibus terris arabilibus pratis pascuis siluis astallareis ripis rupinis ac paludibus molendinis battenderiis fulctoriis alpibus planiciis et montibus mercatis accusationibus ac teloneis exinde exigendis cultis el incultis diuisis et indiuisis una cum finibus terminibus accessionibus et usibus aquarum aquarumque ductibus cum omni iure adiacentiis et pertinentibus eis per loca et uocabula ad ipsam meam portionem pertinentia in integrum. Que autem istam medietatem de predicta corte pinariolo cum omnibus rebus ad eam medietatem pertinentibus iuris mei superius dictam una cum accessionibus et ingressibus seu cum superioribus et inferioribus suis qualiter superius legitur in infinitum ab hac die in eodem monasterio sancte marie a presenti die dono cedo confero et per presentem cartam offersionis ibidem habendum confirmo. Insuper per cultellum festucam nodatam uantonem et uasonem terre atque ramum arboris in predicto monasterio exinde legitimam facio traditionem et uestituram et me exinde foras expuli uuarpiui et absentem feci et ad proprietatem ipsius monasterii habendum relinquo faciendum exinde a presenti die ipsum monasterium aut cui pars ipsius monasterii dederit proprietario nomine quicquid uoluerit sine omni mea et heredum ac proheredum meorum contradicione uel repeticione. Si quis uero quod futurum esse non credo si ego que supra Adelegida cometissa quod absit aut ullus de heredibus ac proheredibus meis seu quelibet opposita persona contra hanc cartam oblalionis ire quandoque temptauerimus aut eam per quoduis ingenium infrangere quesierimus tunc inferamus ad illam partem contra quam exinde litem intulerimus multam que est pena auri optimi uncias mille argenti pondera duo milia et quod repecierimus uendicare non ualeamus sed presens hec oblationis cartula diuturnis temporibus firma permaneat atque persistat inconuulsa cum stipulacione subnixa. Et ego que supra Adelegida cometissa una cum meis heredibus ac proheredibus in predicto monasterio sancte marie aut cui pars ipsius monasterii dederit de predicts rebus qualiter superius legitur in infinitum ab omni omine defensare promitto quod si defendere non potuerimus aut si ac predicto monasterio aut cui pars eiusdem monasterii dederit exinde aliquid per quoduis ingenium subtraere quesierimus tunc in duplum istas res in predicto monasterio restituamus sicut pro tempore fuerint meliorate aut ualuerint sub estimacione in consimilibus locis et pergamenam cum actramentario de terra eleuaui paginam giselberto notario sacri palacii tradidi et scribere rogaui in qua subter confirmans testibusque obtulit roborandam. Actum in predicto loco pinariolo feliciter. Signum + manus iste adelegide cometisse que hanc cartulam offersionis fieri rogauit eique relecta est. Quam cartam domnus Cunibertus taurinensis episcopus et harum ecclesiarum sancti donati sanctique Maurici in manu mea et adelegide dicte cometisse bona fide confirmauit et corroborauit et absque omni munere pro reuerentia beati petri apostolorum principis sub cuius iure totum monasterium pinariolense consistit prefatas ecclesias ad partem monasterii laudauit donauit et obtulit atque in perpetuum sine aliqua conditione concessit. Signa ++ manuum rogderii et uualfredi lege uiuentium salica testes. Signa +++++ manuum Amezo Arnini Aymonis Rubaldi Opizonis testes. Ego qui supra giselbertus notarius sacri palacii scryptor huius carte offersionis post traditam compleui et dedi.

Historical context:

Countess Adelaide gives to the monastery of St. Mary in Pinerolo half of a court and of a castle in that land.

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.

Printed source:

Historia Patriae Monumenta, edita iussu Regis Caroli Alberti, Chartarum Tomus I (Augustae Taurinorum e Regio Typographeo, 1836), c.658-60, doc.392.

Date:

1078, October 26