A letter from Beatrice of Lorraine, duke of Tuscany (1073, August 18)

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and indivisible trinity. In the year of the incarnation of our lord Jesus Christ 1073, fifteenth kalends of September, eleventh indiction. To the monastery of St. Paul the apostle, which is constructed outside and near the city of Parma. We, in God’s name, Beatrice, countess, daughter of the late duke Frederic, of good memory, and Matilda, her daughter and daughter of late Boniface, duke and marquis, who have professed to live under Salic law, with my husband duke Godfrey consenting to me, Matilda as above, as offerers and donors of that monastery, present, we spoke to those who were present: whoever has conferred anything of his property on holy and venerable places, according to the word of Christ he will receive a hundredfold, and moreover will possess eternal life. Therefore, we, as above Beatrice and Matilda, mother and daughter, give, offer and confirm through the present charter of donation, to the same monastery of St. Paul, for reward of our soul and of my late husband, the above-noted great Boniface and the late Godfrey, duke, father of said Godfrey, to have with proprietary name by right, in the order as read below, that is one piece of land with a church built on it, which was consecrated in honor of the holy virgin Mary mother of God, with houses and lots and gardens, well, vineyards, wood and other buildings with our rights, which we are known to have in the place where it is called Castilonculo, and is set around the same church, and the aforesaid piece of land measured in size according to legitimate measuring rods (perticas) twelve feet. The aforenamed ladies Beatrice and Matilda adjoin to it twelve acres on every side. Moreover, the above-noted piece of land of our property as said above, together with the afore-named chapel and with access and its right of entry together with its higher and lower (things), as read above, entirely, from this day we give, cede, offer, and confirm through the present charter of donation there to have in perpetuity with proprietary name by right, to the same monastery of St. Paul, where now lady Berta, abbess, is known to be preordained. Moreover, by the small knife, knotted straw, glove, and clod of earth and branch of tree we make lawful transfer and investiture to the party of that monastery, and we thenceforth have driven ourselves out, guaranteed and made it vacant, and we have left it for the ownership of the aforesaid monastery to have and do thenceforth, (by the) said abbess and her sisters and her successors, who serve God day and night regularly now and for some time in the same monastery and in the said church, for their use and expense both from produce and revenue and from tax and profit and offering that the lord will give annually thenceforth, whatever they will, without any contradiction or reclamation by us, our heirs or representatives of heirs. But if, which we do not believe will occur, any of us, mother and daughter, God forbid, or any of our heirs or representatives of heirs or any person opposing will attempt in any way to go against this charter of donation or seek to infringe it through any contrivance, then we shall inflict on that party, against which we shall have brought suit, great penalty, that is four ounces of pure gold, eight pounds of silver, and we will renew what we cannot claim, but let this present charter of donation endure firm for long duration and let it persist unshaken with stipulation supported with the sense that no bishop of Parma, to whom the monastery is subject, should have the power of ruling the said land and church and property belonging to it or those residing on it, or of causing any trouble or billeting or foraging, tax or fee or for any other reason. And neither the aforesaid bishop nor the abbess at any time should have license or power of changing advantages or giving in benefice to the same monastery either through charter or petition or disownership or any other way or title, but it should remain perpetually for the use and expense of the abbess and the holy nuns serving God in the same monastery and church. But if the bishop of Parma or the abbess of the aforesaid monastery do not observe this according to the said meaning, then the aforesaid land with aforenamed church and with property belonging to it should come into the power and control of the bishop of Mantua and should remain in his power until the bishop of Parma or the abbess of the aforesaid monastery will observe firmly the above-noted sense, saving nonetheless always obedience reserved for the holy church of Mantua concerning the aforesaid church. And we have embossed the parchment with ink from the earth; we have handed over and asked Rusticus, notary of the sacred palace to write the document, on which confirming below we offered it to be strengthened by witnesses. May this contract of donation remain firm for long duration and persist unshaken with stipulation supported. Wherefore two documents of donation were written with one sense. Enacted happily in the place of Maringo. Signs of the hands of the abovenoted Beatrice and Matilda, mother and daughter, we who requested that this charter of donation be made, as above. Sign of the hands of Odo of Cornazano and Gerard and Lampret and Lambert, witnesses requested, living under Salic law. Sign of Odo, son of Fredulf, Albert of Arciano and Roger of Regia, witnesses. I, Rusticus, notary of the sacred palace, as requested, wrote, completed, and gave (the document), subsequently delivered.1

Original letter:

In nomine sancte et individue trinitatis. Anno ab incarnacione domini nostri Iesu Christi millesimo septuagesimo tercio, quintodecimo kalende septembris, indicione undecima. Monasterio sancti Pauli apostoli, quod est constructum foris et prope civitate Parme. Nos quidem in dei nomine Beatrix comitissa, filia quondam bone memorie Frederici ducis, et Matilda, filia eius et filiam quondam Bonefacii ducis et marchionis, que professe sumus lege vivere Salicha, consenciente mihi, que supra Mathilde, Gotefredo duce viro meo, offertrices et donatrices ipsius monasterii, presens presentibus diximus: Quisquis in sanctis ac venerabilibus locis ex suis aliquid contulerit rebus, iusta auctoris vocem centuplum accipiad insuper vitam posidebit eternam. Ideoque nos, que supra Beatrix et Matilda mater et filia, donamus, offerimus et per presentem cartulam offersioni in eodem monasterio sancti Pauli pro mercedem anime nostre et quondam viri mei suprascripti magni Bonefacii et quondam Gotefredi ducis, patris iam dicti Gotefredi, iure proprietario nomine ad abendum confirmamus, eo tamen ordine, ut subter legitur, id est petia una de terra cum ecclesia supra fabricata, que est consecrata ad onorem sancte dei genetricis Marie virginis, cum casis et areis et ortis, puteo, vineis, brogilo ceterisque edificiis iuris nostris, que abere vise sumus in loco, ubi dicitur Castilonculo, et est posita in circuitu eiusdem ecclesie, et est iamdicta petia de terra per mensura iusta ad perticas legitimas de pedibus duodecim mensurata. Iugeras duodecim coherent ei ex omni parte prenominate domine Beatrix et Matilda. Que autem suprascripta petia de terra iuris nostris superius dicta, una cum prius nominata capella et cum accesione et ingreso suo seu cum superiore et inferiore suo, qualiter supra legitur in integrum, ab ac die in eodem monasterio sancti Pauli, ubi nunc domna Berta abbatissa preordinata esse videtur, donamus, cedimus, offerimus et per presentem cartulam offersionis ibidem ad abendum in perpetuum iure proprietario nomine confirmamus. Insuper per cultellum, fistucum nodatum, wantonem et wasonem terre seu ramum arboris ad partem ipsius monasterii legitimam facimus tradicionem et investituram, et nos exinde foris expelivimus, warpivimus et absentem fecimus et ad proprietatem prefati monasterii abendum reliquimus faciendum exinde iamdicta abbatissa sueque sorores eisque succedentes, que nunc et pro tempore in eodem monasterio et in iamdicta ecclesia regulariter die noctuque deo deservierint, ad eorum usum et sumptum tam ex frugibus et reditu quam ex censu et proficuo et oblacione, quod anualiter exinde dominus dederit, quicquit voluerint, sine omni nostra et heredum ac proheredum nostrorum contradicione vel repeticione. Si quis vero, quod futurum esse non credimus, ex nobis, matre et filia, quod absit, aut ullus de heredibus ac proheredibus nostris seu quamlibet obposita persona contra hanc cartulam offersionis ire, quandoque temtaverimus aut eam per quovis ingenium infrangere quesierimus, tunc inferamus ad illam partem, contra quam exinde litem intulerimus, multa, que est pena auri obtimi uncias quattuor, argenti ponderas octo, et quod repecierimus, nichil vindicare valeamus, set presens hec cartula offersionis diuturnis temporibus firma permanead atque persistat inconvulsa cum stipulacione subnixa, eo vero tenore, ut nullus Parmensis episcopus, cui ipsum monasterium subditus est, abead potestatem iam dictam terram et ecclesiam et res ad eas pertinentes vel in eis residentes dominandi aut aliquam molestacionem faciendi neque [albe]rgariam aut fodrum, coltam vel placitum vel per ullam aliam occasionem. Et neque predictus episcopus neque abbatissa quocumque tempore eidem monasterio preposita abead licenciam vel potestatem comutandi aut in beneficium dandi neque per libellum aut per precariam neque per infiteosin nec per ullum alium modum vel titulum, set in perpetuum manead ad usum et sumptum abbatisse et sanctarum monialium in eodem monasterio et ecclesia deo serviencium. Quod si Parmensis episcopus vel abbatissa predicti monasterii hoc secundum iam dictum tenorem non observaverint, tunc predicta terra cum prenominata ecclesia et cum rebus ad eas pertinentibus deveniant in virtute et potestatem Mantuani episcopi et tamdiu in sua potestate permaneant, quousque Parmensis episcopus vel abbatissa prefati monasterii suprascriptum tenorem firmiter observaverint, salva tamen semper et retempta obediencia sancte Mantuane ecclesie de predicta ecclesia. Et pergamena cum atramentario de terra elevavimus, pagina Rusticus notarius sacri palacii tradimus et scribere rogavimus, in qua ic subter confirmans testibusque obtulimus roborandam. Hec enim cartula offersionis firma permanead diuturnis temporibus atque persistat inconvulsa cum stipulacione subnixa. Unde due cartule offersionis uno tenore scripte sunt. Actum in loco Maringo, feliciter. Signa (S. Beat.) manuum (S. Mat.) suprascripta Beatrix et Matilda, mater et filia, qui hanc cartulam offersionis fieri rogavimus ut supra. Signum ++++ manuum Odo da Cornazano et Girardo seu Lampreto atque Lamberto lege Salicha vivencium rogatis testibus. Signum +++ Odo filius Fredulfi, Albertus de Arciano seu Rogerio da Regie testibus. (S. N.) Ego Rusticus notarius sacri palacii rogatus scripsi pos tradita conplevi et dedit. ep.18

Historical context:

Beatrice and her daughter Matilda, ruling together, bestow property on the abbey of San Paolo at Parma for the soul of Beatrice's two deceased husbands, Boniface, Matilda's father, and Godfrey, her father-in-law. The living husband referred to is Matilda's husband, Godfrey of Lorraine. This document of donation includes a legal formula of symbols used in property transfers: the knife signifies severance of property from previous owner, as does the knotted straw, the knots making the symbol unusable in another transaction, therby rendering the transaction irrecoverable; the glove represents the transfer of legal right, the stick and clump of earth represent the property being transferred, see Arnoud-Jan Bijsterveld, Do ut Des: Gift Giving, Memoria and Conflict Management in the Medieval Low Countries (Hilversum: Verloren, 2007). In the law of real property, the transfer of a twig or clod of dirt was “livery of seisin” constituted symbolic delivery of the right of legal possession or ownership of land. The formula is also used in documents of Bertha of the Obertenghi, Immilla of Turin, Adelaide of Turin and Susa and Adelaide of Burgundy.

Scholarly notes:

1 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.9, 55-57.

Date:

1073, August 18