A letter from Adelaide of Turin and Susa (1079, July 4)

Translated letter:

On Thursday, the fourth day of the month of July, in the monastery of saints Solutor, Adventor, and Octavius, constructed outside and near the city of Turin, not very far from the gate which is called Susa, in a chamber that is near the chapel of the lord abbot of that monastery, in the presence of lady Agnes, countess, daughter of late William, count, and widow of late Peter, marquis, and (in the presence of) lord Ingo bishop of the holy church of Asti and lord Albert of the holy church of Aix, also a bishop, and lord Guido, marquis, who is said (to be) from Sezzadio and Erenzo, a judge and Bruno from Morocio and Henry from Barono and Ansaldus from Po-longhera and Daniel and Otto, through the staff of the lord Obert, abbot of the above-said monastery, which the lady Adelaide, countess, daughter of late Manfred, marquis, of good memory, and widow of late Odo, also marquis, held in her hand, she gave investiture to the above-noted monastery of saints Solutor, Adventor, and Octavius, into the hand of the aforesaid lord Obert most reverent abbot by name of half of a court that is called Carpice by the countess’ right with appurtenances and all things belonging to that half of the aforesaid court, entirely, whereby the remaining half of the aforesaid court appears to belong to the said monastery with proprietary right and as much as belongs to it, regarding half of another court that is called Coazze with half of appurtenances and all things belonging to that half, whereby a certain Adalric, bishop of the above-noted holy church of Asti, paternal uncle of that lady Adelaide, countess, and a certain lady Bertha, countess, her mother, made a charter of donation to the aforenamed monastery with the tenor that the monks, who now appear to be ordained in that monastery and those who hereafter will be ordained, should do what they will concerning both the aforesaid half of the aforesaid court that is called Carpice with half of all things belonging to it and appurtenances, and concerning that which belonged to it in any way regarding the half of all things and appurtenances belonging to it, fully, for the use of that monastery from the present day with proprietary name, and therefore so that omnipotent and most merciful God might deem it worthy to have pity on the souls of the above-noted late Manfred, marquis, her father and the late lord Adalric, bishop of Asti, her paternal uncle and the late Bertha, countess, her mother, of good memory and the late lord Peter, marquis, her son, in eternal rest, and so that he might grant indulgence to them for all their sins in this life of mortality, and clemency for a future of eternal stability of his most holy contemplation with the company of saints. Enacted happily in this year of the incarnation of our lord Jesus Christ 1079, on the above-noted Thursday, second indiction. Sign of the hand of the above-noted lady Adelaide, countess, this writ of her above-noted investiture. I, Aldeprandus, who am called Bello, notary of the holy palace, was present and wrote the summary of this investiture.1

Original letter:

Die iouis quarto die mensis iulii monasterio sanctorum solutoris aduentoris atque octaui constructo foris et prope ciuitatem taurini non multum longe de porta que dicitur secusina in camera que est iusta capellam domni abbatis ipsius monasterii presencia domne agnetis cometisse filie quondam uulielmi comitis et relicte quondam petri marchionis et domni ingonis sancte astensis ecclesie episcopi ac domni alberti sancte aquensis ecclesie itemque episcopi seu domni uuidonis marchionis qui dicitur de seciago siue erenzonis iudicis et brunonis de morocio atque enrici de barono et ansaldi de pulingaria nec non danielis et ottonis per croculam domni oberti abbatis supradicti monasterii quam sua tenebat manu domna adalegida cometissa filia quondam bone memorie maginfredi marchionis et relicta quondam oddonis itemque marchionis dedit inuestituram suprascripto monasterio sanctorum solutoris aduentoris atque octauii in manu prefati domni oberti reuerentissimi abbatis nominative de medietate de corte una que uocatur calpix iuris ipsius cometisse omnibus rebus et pertinenciis ad ipsam medietatem de predicta corte pertinentibus in integrum unde reliqua medietas de predicta corte a iamdicto monasterio pertinere uidetur proprietario iure et de quantum sibi pertinebat de medietate de corte alia que dicitur couacie cum medietate de omnibus rebus et pertinenciis ad ipsam medietatem pertinentibus unde quidam adalricus suprascripte sancte astensis ecclesie episcopus patruus ipsius domne adalegide cometisse et quedam domna berta cometissa genitrix sua fecerunt cartam offersionis prenominato monasterio eo tenore ut faciant monachi qui nunc in ipso monasterio ordinati uidentur et illi qui deinc in antea fuerint ordinati tam de predicta medietate de prefata corte que dicitur calpix cum medietate de omnibus rebus et pertinentiis ad ipsam pertinentibus quam de hoc quod sibi aliquo modo pertinebat de suprascripta medietate de prefata corte que uocatur couacie et de medietate de omnibus rebus et pertinenciis ad ipsam pertinentibus in integrum ad utilitatem ipsius monasterii a presenti die proprietario nomine quod uoluerint et ideo ut omnipotens atque misericordiosissimus deus animabus suprascriptorum quondam maginfredi marchionis genitoris sui et quondam domni adalrici astensis antistitis patrui sui ac quondam bone memorie berte comitisse genitricis sue atque quondam domni petri marchionis filii sui in eterna requie misereri dignetur et sibi in hac mortalitatis uita omnium suorum delictorum indulgenciam et in perpetue stabilitatis futura sanctissime sue contemplacionis cum sanctorum cetibus largiatur clemenciam. factum est hoc anno ab incarnacione domini nostri Ihu Xpi millesimo septuagesimo nono suprascripto die iouis indicione secunda feliciter. Signum + manus suprascripte domne adalegide comitisse que hoc suprascripte sue inuestiture breue. Ego aldeprandus qui bello sum uocatus notarius sacri palacii interfui et huius inuestiture breue scripsi.

Historical context:

The countess Adelaide gives to the monastery of saints Solutor, Adventor, and Octavius half of Calpice and the share that she possesses in Coazze, in the presence of various bishops and of her widowed daughter-in-law, Countess Agnes.

Scholarly notes:

1. This translation was provided by Ashleigh Imus.

Manuscript source:

Regii Archivii di Corte (Abbazia di Sangano, m.1, n.1

Printed source:

Historia Patriae Monumenta, edita iussu Regis Caroli Alberti, Chartarum Tomus I (Augustae Taurinorum e Regio Typographeo, 1836), c.660-61, doc. 393..

Date:

1079, July 4