A letter from Immilla of Turin (1077, December 3 )

Translated letter:

In the year of the incarnation of our lord Jesus Christ 1077, third day of the month of December, fifteenth indiction, at the church of St. Peter constructed in the place Musinasco in which, with God granting, the monastery with monks was appointed for the honor of St. Peter, Roman apostle, and subject to the same Roman church of St. Peter. I, Immilla, called duchess, daughter of the late Oldric, called Manfred, marquis, who have professed to live from my birth under Salic law, offerer and donor of that church, spoke thus 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, Immilla, as above, for the reward and healing of my soul and of my relatives, for the use and profit of the monks who served God there and the abbots who were invested and consecrated there by the hand of the apostolic lord, since I wish that they be invested and consecrated by the hand of the apostolic lord, give and offer for the said basilica, by name, all things of my right located in the places and estates of Musinasco, Gavenno, and beyond the river Tanaro in the places and estates of Bossolasco, Sommano, Turrizella, Rodino, Bucignano and with their territories and appurtenances in such a way that those monks who first were elected or subsequently were ordained may pay for every mass of St. Martin to that same Roman church of the apostle, St. Peter, a fee in the amount of one ounce of pure gold, as was said with houses, castles, chapels, plots, and vineyards with their grounds and all other things of my right eternally, and moreover with all those above-said things of my right together with their accesses and rights of entry and with their higher and lower things as read above eternally, from this day to the same basilica for reward and healing of my soul and of my relatives, as I said, for the use and profit of the monks, from the present day I give and offer the aforesaid things and through the present charter of donation I confirm the holding in the same basilica. Moreover by the small knife, knotted straw, glove and piece of earth and branch of tree to that basilica according to my Salic law I thereby make legitimate transfer and investiture and I thereby have driven myself out, guaranteed and I have made myself absent and I relinquish the holding to the ownership of that basilica for the use and profit of the monks so that the monks who, at that time, were a part of that monastery, may do concerning the fruits and revenues whatever will be suitable for them without any contradiction or reclamation by me and my heirs and representatives of heirs. But if, which I do not believe will occur, I, Immilla, 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 shall have thenceforth brought suit, great penalty, which is one-hundred ounces of pure gold, two-hundred 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 regarding me, Immilla, as above, my heirs, and representatives of heirs, (we promise) to defend for the party of that basilica as read above the offering as read above completely from any man, which if we should not be able to defend or if we seek to withdraw through any contrivance from that basilica, then let us restore twofold that offering to that basilica, as at that time it will have been improved or it will be valued in judgment in similar places, and I have embossed the parchment with ink from the earth. I gave, John, notary of the holy palace, and asked him to write, in which confirming below, he offered (it) to be strengthened by witnesses. Enacted happily within the city of Turin. Sign by the hand of the above-noted Immilla, who requested that this charter of donation be made, as above. Sign by the hands of Bruno, viscount and Girard and Arnon and Peter, witnesses from the place of Cavour. I, John, as above, notary of the holy palace, writer of this charter of donation completed and gave it, subsequently delivered.1

Original letter:

Anno ab incarnacione domini nostri Ihu Xpi milleximo septuageximo septimo tercio die mensis decembris indictione quindecima ecclesia sancti petri constructa in loco muxinasco in qua deo annuente monasterium cum monachis fuerunt ordinatum ad honorem sancti petri romani apostoli et eidem romane ecclesie sancti petri subiectum. Ego Immilla ducissa uocata filia quondam Odelrici qui maginfredo uocatur marchio que professa sum ex nacione mea lege uiuere salica offertrix et donatrix ipsius ecclesie presentibus dixi. quisquis in sanctis ac in uenerabilibus locis ex suis aliquit contulerit rebus iusta octoris uocem in hoc seculo centuplum accipiet insuper quod melius est uitam possidebit eternam. Ideoque ego que supra immilla pro mercede et remedium anime mee et parentum meorum propter usum et fructum monachorum qui ibi deo seruierunt et abbates qui ibi fuerunt inuestiti et consecrati per manum domni apostolici quia ita uolo ut sint inuestiti et consecrati per manum domni apostolici dono et offero in iam dictam basilica nominatiue omnes res iuris mei positis in locis et fundis muxinasco gauenno et ultra fluuium tanarus in locis et fundis bozolasco sommano turrizella rodino bucignano et per eorum territoriis et pertinentiis eo uero modo ut ipsi monachi qui primitus fuerunt electi uel postea fuerunt ordinati persoluant pro omni missa sancti martini ad eadem ecclesiam romanam sancti petri apostoli census nomine aurum optimum unciam unam ut dictum est cum casis castris capellis sediminibus et uineis cum areis suarum ceterisque rebus omnibus iuris mei in infinitum que autem istis rebus omnibus iuris mei supradictis una cum accessionibus et ingressionibus earum seu cum superioribus et inferioribus suis qualiter supra legitur in infinitum ab ac die in eadem basilica pro mercede et remedium anime mee et parentum meorum ut dixi ad usum et fructum monachoram a presenti die dono et offero predictas res et per presentem cartam offersionis in eadem basilica habendum confirmo. In super iusta lege mea salicha per cultellum festucum notatum uuantonem et uuasonem terre adque ramum arboris ad ipsa basilica exinde legitimam facio traditionem et uestituram et me exinde foris expuli uuarpiui et absente feci et ad proprietatem ipsius basilice habendum relinquo ad usum et fructum monachorum ita ut faciant monachi que pro tempore fuerunt a parte ipsius monasterii de frugibus et redditibus quicquid eis fuerit opportunum sine omni mea et heredum ad proheredum meorum contradicione uel repeticione. Si quis uero quod futurum esse non credo si ego ipsa immilla quod absit aut ullus de heredibus ac proheredibus meis seu quelibet oposita persona contra hanc cartam offersionis ire quandoque tentauerimus aut ea pro quocumque ingenio infrangere quesierimus tunc inferamus ad illam partem contra quam exinde litem intulerimus multa quod est pena auri optimi uncias centi argenti pondere a duocenti et quod repecierimus et uindicare non ualeamus set presens hanc cartam offersionis diuturnis temporibus firma permanead adque persistat inconuulsa stipulacione subnixa et ad me que supra immilla meique heredes ac proheredes a parte ipsius basilice sicut supra legitur ista offersio qualiter supra legitur in integrum ab omni omine defensare quod si defendere non potuerimus aut si de ipsa basilica per couis ingenium subtraere quesierimus te in dublum ista offersio ad ipsa basilica restituamus. sicut pro tempore fuerit meliorata aut ualuerit sub extimacione in consimilibus locis et bergamena cum trementario de terra leuaui. Joannes notarius sacri palacii tradidi et scribere rogaui in qua subter confirmans testibusque obtulit roborandam. Actum infra ciuitatem taurino feliciter. Signum + manu suprascripta immilla que anc cartam offersionis fieri rogaui ut supra. Signum +++ manuum bruno uicecomes et girardi seu arnoni adque petri de loco cauurro testes. Ego qui supra ioannes notarius sacri palacii scriptor uius carte offersionis post tradita compleui et dedi.

Historical context:

The duchess Immilla gives to the monastery of St. Peter of Musinasco all the property that she possesses in Musinasco, Gavenno, Bossolasco and elsewhere. The charter invokes the legal formula for transfer of property "by the small knife, knotted straw, glove, piece of earth and branch of tree" found also in donations of her mother, Bertha degli Obertenghi, Adelaide of Turin and Susa, and Beatrice and Matilda of Tuscany. Adam Kosto identified the formula for me.

Scholarly notes:

1. This translation was provided by Ashleigh Imus.

Manuscript source:

Archivio della Citta di Pinerolo.(P. D.)

Printed source:

HPM, Chartarum, Tomus I, edita iussu Regis Caroli Alberti Augustae Taurinorum, e regio Typographeo, 1836 c. 655-57, doc.390.

Date:

1077, December 3