A letter from Matilda of Tuscany, countess of Tuscany, duchess of Lorraine (1073, February 8)

Translated letter:

While lady Matilda, marchioness and duchess, daughter of Boniface, marquis of good memory, sat in judgment in God’s name outside the walls of the city of Lucca in a burg which is called San Frediano, in the storied house of Pandolf, son of Hugh of good memory, through his permission granted, together with Flaipertus judge and ambassador of the lord emperor, to hear and decide cases, and sitting with them Gerard, Gotfried, judges, Guinith, Sigismund, Guifred, Raymond, Cono advocate(s), Glandulf, Roland, Benedict notaries, Herric son of Lanbert of good memory and his brother Sigfried, Guido son of Moretto of good memory, Hugh son of Guinith of good memory, Conrad son of Villano of good memory, Burrello son of Martin of good memory, Hubert son of Gualfred of good memory, Hungar and Lanbert brothers, sons of Guido of good memory, Araldel son of Allucco of good memory, Lanbert son of Baroncio of good memory, Senioretto son of Masage of good memory, Carbone son of Bonio of good memory, clerics, Fantino son of Pisano of good memory, Rainier Toccacoscia son of Peter of good memory and many others. Coming there in their presence (was) Eritha, abbess of the church and monastery of the lord and St. Salvatore and St. Justina, which is called Brisciani, located in the city of Lucca beside the walls of the same city, together with representative Gerard, advocate of the same monastery. They undertook to speak before the same lady Matilda: the party of the church and monastery of the aforesaid lord and St. Salvatore and St. Justina has and holds in its possession two measures of lands, one of which is known to have a storied house on it, raised and constructed of stone and limestone and sand, which is known to be in the aforesaid city of Lucca near the aforesaid church of St. Justina, bordering one headland on a public lane and with one side and another headland borders on land and half an enclosure and half a field(1) from the house of Benenato the clergyman and another side borders on land and half an enclosure and half a field from the house of Bonitto. The second (piece of land), which is a field, which is known to be in the place and territories of Villanova, bordering one headland on the land of Lanbert and on the land of Boniolo, and the other headland borders on the river Serchio; one side borders on the land of St. Pantaleon and another side borders on the land of the above-noted St. Pantaleon and the aforesaid Boniolo, such that, if there is any man that thenceforth wishes to dispute or act, we are prepared to stand trial with him in judgment on behalf of the aforenamed monastery and to conclude legitimately. But since no one had presented himself there who would dispute or act thenceforth against the aforesaid monastery, then the aforenamed abbess, Eritha, together with the aforesaid Gerard, her advocate, petitioned the aforenamed lady Matilda and the aforenamed Flaipertus, judge and ambassador of the lord emperor, for God and for reward of his lord emperor’s soul, to establish the lord emperor’s protection over them and the aforesaid property, such that no man, no person great or small, would presume to divest the party of the aforenamed monastery without lawful judgment. And since the aforenamed Eritha, abbess, together with her aforesaid advocate requested thus, then the aforenamed lady Matilda together with the aforesaid Flaipertus, judge and ambassador of the lord emperor, by the staff that they held in their hands, they established the lord emperor’s protection (proclamation) over the same Eritha, abbess and over her aforesaid advoate and over that property for one thousand gold marks, so that no man, no person great or small should presume to divest the party of the aforesaid church without lawful judgment; but whoever does this, let him recognize that he will pay the aforesaid thousand gold marks, half to the party of the lord emperor and half to the party of the aforesaid monastery, to the same Eritha, abbess or her successors. Therefore, we have commanded that this document be made for security and future evidence for the same Eritha, abbess, and her successors and that it be shown to the party of the aforenamed monastery. I, Gerard, notary of the lord emperor, have written by command of the above-noted lady Matilda and the aforesaid Flaipertus, judge and ambassador of the lord emperor and by the counsel of judges. In the year of the lord’s incarnation 1073, sixth ides of February, eleventh indiction. (Sign) Mat[ilda] (S) I, Flaipert, judge and ambassador of lord emperor, signed below; (S) I, Winizio, advocate, discussing and pleading the case with full investigation, was present; (S) I, Wuifred, present, signed below to these words; (S) I, Sismund, supported by doctrine of laws, signed below; (S) I, Glamdulf, notary of lord emperor, was present there and signed below; (S) I, Gudtefred, judge of the sacred palace, was present.(2)

Original letter:

Dum in dei nomine estra muros Lucemsis civitatis in burgo, qui vocatur sancti Fridiani, in casa solariata Pandolfi filius bone memorie Hugheri per illius datam licemtiam in iudicio residisset do(mi)na Mactilda marchionissa hac ducatrix, filia bone memorie Bonefatii marchionis, una cum Flaiperto iudice et missus do(mi)ni imperatoris ad causas audiemdas hac deliberandas, residemtibus cum illis Gerardus, Gottefredus iudicibus, Guinitho, Sigismundo, Guifredo, Raimundo, Cono causidicius, Glandulfo, Rolando, Benedicto notarii, Herricus filius bone memorie Lanberti et Sigefredo germanus eius, Guido filius bone memorie Morecti, Hugo filius bone memorie Guinithi, Conradus filius bone memorie Villani, Burrello filius bone memorie Martini, Hubertus filius bone memorie Gualfredi, Hungaro et Lanberto germani filii bone memorie Guidonis, Araldello filius bone memorie Allucci, Lanbertus filius bone memorie Baroncioni, Seniorectus filius bone memorie Masage, Carbone filius bone memorie Bonii clerici, Fantinus filius bone memorie Pisani, Raineri Toccacoscia filius bone memorie Petri et reliquis plures. Ibique eorum veniens presentiis Eritha abbatissa de ecclesia et monasterio domini et sancti Saluatoris et sancte Iustine, que dicitur Brisciani, sita in Lucemsi civitate iuxta muros eiusdem civitatis, una cum Gerardo scario, avocatus eiusdem monasterii. Ceperunt dicere adversus eadem do(mi)nam Mactildam: Abet et detinet pars ecclesie et monasterii ian dicti domini et sancti Saluatoris sanctique Iustine ad suam proprietatem duo petiis de terris illis, que una ex ipsis cum casa solariata super se abemte a petre et a calcina seu arena constructa et levata esse videtur, que esse videtur in predicta Lucemsi civitate iuxta prelibatam ecclesiam sancte Iustine, tenentes uno capo in via plubica atque cum uno lato et alio capo tenet in terra et dimidia sepe et dimidie colunne de casa Benenati clerici et alio lato tenet in terra et dimidia sepe et dimidie colunne de casa Bonithi, et illa secunda, que est campo, que esse videtur in loco et finibus Villanova, tenemtes uno capo in terra Lanberti et in terra Bonioli et alio capo tenet in fluvio Serclo, lato uno tenet in terra sancti Pantaleonis et alio lato tenet in terra suprascripti sancti Pantaleonis et predicti Bonioli, ut, si est ullus homo, quod exinde agere aut causare vult, parati sumus cum illo in ratione standum ex parte ian nominati monasterii et legiptime finiendum. Et cum nemo ibi se apresentasset, quod exinde contra predictum monasterium agisset vel causaset, tunc ian nominata Eritha abatissa una cum predicto Gerardo eius avocato petierunt ad ian nominatam do(mi)nam Mactildam et ad predictum Flaipertum iudicem et missus do(mi)ni imperatoris, ut propter deum et anime do(mi)ni imperatoris sueque mercedis misisent bannum domni imperatoris super ipsos et super ian dictas res, ut nullus quilibet homo, magna vel parva persona, pars ian nominati monasterii sine legale iudicio divestire presummat. Et cum ian nominata Eritha abatissa una cum predicto eius avocato taliter postulasent, tunc ian nominata do(mi)na Mactilda una cum prefato Flaiperto iudice et misus do(mi)ni imperatoris per fustem, in qua suis detinebant manibus, miserunt bannum do(mi)ni imperatoris super eadem Eritham abatissam et super predictum eius avocatum et super ipsas res in mancusos aureos mille, ut nullus quilibet homo, magna vel parva persona, pars predicte ecclesie sine legale iudicio devistire presunmat; quis vero fecerit, se agnoscat conpositurus predicti mille mancusos aureos, medietatem parti canmare do(mi)ni imperatoris et medietatem pars predicti monasterii, eidem Erithe abatisse vel posterioribus supcessatricibus suis. Unde hanc notitiam pro securitate et fuctura ostemsione eidem Erithe abatisse posterisque supcessatricibus suis ad partem ian nominati monasterii ostendenda fieri iussimus. Quidem ego Gherardus notarius do(mi)ni imperatoris ex iussione suprascripte do(mi)ne Mactilde et predicti Flaiperti iudicis et missus domni imperatoris seu iudicum amoniptione scripsi. Anno dominice ab incarnationis eius millesimo septuagesimo tertio, sexto idus fabruarii, indictione undecima. (S. Mat.) (S.) Flaipertus iudex et missus do(mi)ni imperatoris subscripsi. Winizo causidicus causam plena inquisizione orando disscuziens interfui. (S.) Subscripsi dictis presens Vuifredus in istis. (S.) Legum Sismundus supscripsi docmate fultus. (S.) Glamdulfus notarius do(mi)ni imperatoris ibi fui, subscripsi. (S.) Gudtefredus iudex sacri palatii interfui.

Historical context:

While Matilda was sitting in judgment near Lucca, she heard and affirmed the claim of abbess Eritha to certain pieces of land in the name of her monastery.

Scholarly notes:

1 Like “sepe,” “colunne” or “colonia” refers to a measurement of land that is hard to translate precisely. According to Du Cange, a “colonia” is a “villa, seu villula cum modo agri quantum colonus unus colere potest,” a piece of land witha field that can be cultivated by one peasant, or a “habitaculum rusticum cum sufficienti praedio ad alendum colonum, vel familiam rusticam," or rustic habitation with sufficient land to feed one peasant, or rustic family. 2 Ashleigh Imus provided this translation.

Printed source:

Die Urkunden und Briefe der Markgräfin Mathilde von Tuszien, ed. Elke Goez and Werner Goez (Hanover: Hahnsche Buchhandlung, 1998), ep.7, 49-52.

Date:

1073, February 8