A letter from Adelaide of Turin and Susa (1083, April 22)

Translated letter:

On Saturday, tenth kalends of May in the city of Turin in a palace constructed over the gate which is called Susa, in the presence of lord Erenzo, viscount of that city and judges of the lord of Burgundy, and Obertus and Bruno of the above-noted city of Turin and Ato of Fenile and William and Restagnus of the valley of Susa and other good men by parchment that they held in their hands, lady Adelaide, countess, daughter of late Manfred, marquis and widow of late Otto, also marquis, and lady Agnes, also countess, daughter of late William, count, and widow of late Peter, also marquis, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conceded and confirmed for the rectory of St. Mary constructed in the city of Susa, to be held in the hand of lord Nantelm, priest and provost of that canonry and for the canonry of St. Laurence of the martyrs in the place called Oulx, for reward and healing of their souls and the souls of the above-noted late Manfred, marquis, father of that lady Adelaide, countess, and Adalric, bishop of the holy church of Asti, her paternal uncle, and lady Bertha, countess, her mother, and the aforesaid lord Peter, marquis, son of that lady Adelaide, countess, and husband of that lady Agnes, and other relatives and their kin, by name a whole tithe of the above-noted city of Susa and its territory, except the tithe of a castle’s chapel that is in the castle of that city,* and a whole tithe of villages which are called Sille and Mattie with all churches that are seen to belong to this tithe with all their offerings, and five churches, namely the church of St. Desiderius and the church of St. George and churches in the villages of Bozoleto and Brusiolio and Canusso with two dwellings from the endowment of that church of St. Desiderius and with all its offering and with all tithes and endowments and offerings and alms from four other churches in Bozoleto and Brusiolio and Canusso and of St. George, with the tenor that the aforesaid lord Nantelm, priest and provost, and his successor provosts of the above-noted canonry of St. Lawrence (and) other canons of that church who are now ordained in it and those who thenceforth will be in the future and (who) have lived there by church discipline regularly according to God, concerning both the aforesaid tithes and churches with their endowments and offerings and the other things that the above-noted late Manfred, marquis, and lord Adalric, bishop of the holy church of Asti, father of brother and paternal uncle of that lady Adelaide, countess, and aforesaid lady Bertha, countess, her mother and that lady Adelaide, countess, gave or added to the aforementioned rectory of St. Mary and concerning those things that thenceforth in the future the aforesaid lord provost and his successors and other canons of that church legally will acquire for the party of that canonry for the use and expense of the canons who, as said, have lived there regularly according to church discipline, should do what they will without any contradiction of those countesses, lady Adelaide and lady Agnes, or their heirs or representatives of heirs; and so that this be protected as valid and inviolate that lady Adelaide and Agnes, countesses, have set a punishment that if they or their heirs or representatives of heirs will presume to violate or corrupt at any time or in any way this document of granting and investiture, then they should pay to the aforesaid lord Nantelm, provost, and to his successors and other canons of that church living regularly according to church discipline according to God and to the aforesaid lord Nantelm, provost, and to his successor provosts obeying rightly, of his above-noted canonry of St. Lawrence, a penalty** in the amount of one thousand good coins of silver. This was enacted happily in the year of the incarnation of our lord Jesus Christ 1083 on Saturday sixth indiction. Sign by the hands of the above-noted Adelaide and Agnes, countesses, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law who requested that this writ of concession and investiture be made as above. I, Aldeprandus, who am called Bello, notary of the holy palace, was present and wrote this document.***

Original letter:

Die sabati decimo kalendas madi in ciuitate taurini in palacio constructo super portam que dicitur secusina presencia domni erenzonis uicecomitis ipsius ciuitatis et domni burgundionis iudicum seu oberti siue brunonis de suprascripta ciuitate taurini atque atonis de finilis siue uilielmi atque restagni de ualle secusia nec non ceterorum bonorum hominum per pergamenam quod earum tenebant manibus domna adalegida cometissa filia quondam maginfredi marchionis et relicta quondam oddonis item marchionis et domna Agnes item cometissa filia quondam uuilielmi comitis et relicta quondam petri similiter marchionis socrus et nurus concesserunt atque ad habendum confirmauerunt canonice sancte marie constructe in ciuitate secusia in manu domni nantelmi presbiteri et prepositi ipsius canonice nec non canonice sancti laurencii de martiribus loco ubi dicitur ulcium pro mercede et remedio animarum suarum et animarum suprascripti quondam maginfredi marchionis genitoris ipsius domne adalegide cometisse et adalrici sancte astensis ecclesie episcopi patrui sui atque domne berte cometisse genitricis ipsius siue prefati domni petri marchionis fili ipsius domne adalegide cometisse. et uiri ipsius domne agnetis nec non ceterorum parentum et propinquorum illarum nominatiue* omnem decimam suprascripte ciuitatis secusie et de eius territorio exepta decima castri capelle que est in castro ipsius ciuitatis et omnem decimam de uicis qui uocantur sille et matigam cum omnibus ecclesiis quibus hec decime pertinere uidentur cum omnibus offersionibus earum et ecclesias quinque scilicet ecclesiam sancti desiderii et ecclesiam sancti georgii et ecclesias de uicis bozoleto brusiolio atque canusso cum duobus mansis de dote ipsius ecclesie sancti desiderii et cum omni eius offersione et cum omnibus decimis et dotis atque offersionibus et elemosinis de ceteris quattuor ecclesiis de bozoleto et brusiolio atque canusso siue sancti georgii eo tenore ut predictus domnus nantelmus presbiter et prepositus eiusque successores prepositi suprascripte canonice sancti laurencii ceteri ipsius ecclesie canonici qui nunc in ea ordinati sunt et illi qui deinc in antea fuerint et secundum deum canonice et regulariter ibi uixerint faciant tam de prefatis decimis et ecclesiis cum dotibus et offersionibus earum quam de ceteris rebus quas suprascripti quondam maginfredus marchio et domnus adelricus sancte ecclesie (astensis) episcopus germani genitor et patruus ipsius domne adalegide comitisse atque domna prefata berta commetissa genitrix sua uel ipsa domna adalegida cometissa prenominate canonice sancte marie dederunt uel addiderunt siue de illis quas deinc in antea predictus domnus prepositus eiusque successores ceterique ipsius ecclesie canonici ad partem ipsius canonice legaliter adquisierint ad usum et sumtum canonicorum. qui ut dictum est canonice et regulariter ibi uixerint quod uoluerint sine omni contradiccione ipsarum domne adalegide et domne agnetis cometissarum earumque heredum ac proheredum et ut hoc ratum inuiolatumque custodiatur posuerunt penam ipse domne adalegida et agnes cometisse ut si ipse uel illarum heredes proheredes hoc concessionis et inuestiture scriptum quocumque tempore uel modo uiolare uel corrumpere presumpserint ut tunc componant prefato domno nantelmo preposito eiusque successoribus ceterisque canonicis ipsius ecclesie secundum deum canonice et regulariter uiuentibus ac prefato domno nantelmo preposito eiusque successobus prepositis suprascripte canonice sancti launcii et sue recte obedientibus pene** nomine argenti denarios bonos libras mille . factum est hoc anno ab incarnacione domini nostri Ihu Xpi millesimo octuagesimo tercio suprascripto die sabati dicione sexta feliciter. Signum ++ manuum suprascriptarum adalegide et agnetis cometissarum socrus et nurus que hoc concessionis et inuestiture breue fieri rogauerunt ut supra. Ego aldeprandus qui bello sum uocatus notarius sacri palacii interfui et hoc breue scripsi.

Historical context:

Donation of countess Adelaide and of countess Agnes, widow of the marquis Peter, her daughter-in-law, to the canonries of St. Mary of Susa and of St. Lawrence of Oulx, of tithes of Susa, tithes and churches of Sille, Mattie, Bussolino and other lands. There is a slightly different version of this charter in Muletti, Memorie ... di Saluzzo,  from which I have noted the main differences as footnotes to the Historia text and translation (JF).

Scholarly notes:

* A church constructed in the village that is called Chaumont, dedicated in honor of the blessed Mary ever Virgin, with all the endowment and offering and tithe pertaining to it and a piece of vineyard with its land set in the Urbiano area, which was formerly a field, and every toll from all the things of that canonry which cross through the close of Susa; whence that lady countess Adelaide had previously made a gift of investiture to said canonry, also all things which that lord Nantelm, provost and other canons of that church legally acquired in all her lands; "ecclesiam unam constructam in vico, ubi dicitur Caput montis, in honore beatae Mariae semper Virginis dedicatam cum omni dote et offertione atque decima ad ipsam pertinentibus et petiam unam de vinea cum area sua posita in fundo Urbiano, quae olim brayda fuit, atque omne toloneum de rebus omnibus universis istae canonicae, quae per clusam Secusiae transierint; unde ipsa domna Adalegida comitissa iam antea investiturae donum praedictae canonicae fecerat, etiam et omnes res, quas ipse domnus Nantelmus praepositus caeterique ipsius ecclesiae canonici in omni terra ipsarum legaliter adquisierunt" ** Punishment of a thousand good silver coins and a hundred Pavia pounds; " (argenti denarius bonos; "Papienses libras centum"). *** The translation of the main text was provided by Ashleigh Imus.

Manuscript source:

Regii Archivii di Corte (Abbazia di S. Giusto, m.1, n.5).

Printed source:

Historia Patriae Monumenta, edita iussu Regis Caroli Alberti, Chartarum Tomus I (Augustae Taurinorum e Regio Typographeo, 1836), c.664-66, doc.396; also in Muletti, Memorie storico-diplomatiche appartenenti alla città ed ai marchesi di Saluzzo, 1.266-67.

Date:

1083, April 22