A letter from Matilda of Tuscany, countess of Tuscany, duchess of Lorraine (1092, October 5)

Translated letter:

On the day of the martyr, which is the fifth day in the month of October, in the presence of Ubald, bishop of Mantua, and Ubald, judge, and Azo, son of Ubald of Parma and Crispo of Mandria and the sons of Rozo of Pelavo and many others, countess Matilda gave to the monastery of St. Benedict located beside the Po, in which monastery William presided as abbot at that time, the palace from the castle Ariano with proprietary right, and conceded to it the church of St. Prosper located in the same castle with the tithe belonging to the same church, with its court, having both access and [the place] where the garden is cultivated. She also granted it the church of St. Donino located in Mt. Villa and the church of St. Prosper and the church of St. Gregory of Antognano with all possessions belonging to those churches, except the canonical right of the church of Reggio, with Heribert, the bishop of Reggio favoring and particularly consenting. The aforesaid abbot, fleeing the society of his monastery on account of the persecution of the tyrant Henry, was sustained by the aforesaid countess in the mountains. With mercy directed toward the support of the brothers, she granted all these things that are contained in this charter, to the aforesaid monastery perpetually with consent, as was said, of the bishop of Reggio without any contradiction or reclamation by the same countess Matilda or her heirs. This was done in the one-thousand-ninety-second year of the incarnation of our lord Jesus Christ, fifteenth indiction. Enacted at Carpineti, happily. Ugo of Roteglia, Nordino of Gaio, Ubald of Carpineti, who were present as witnesses. (S.N.) I, Guido, notary of the sacred palace, was present and wrote this grant charter.1

Original letter:

(S. N.) Die martris, qui est quinto die intrante mense octubris, presencia Ubaldi episcopi Mantuani et Ubaldi iudicis et Azonis filii Ubaldi de Parma et Crispi de Mandria et filiorum Rozonis de Pelauo et aliorum uam plurium dedit comicissa Matilda proprietario iure palacium de astro Ariano; concessit ecclesiam sancti Prosperii sitam in eodem castro cum decima ad eandem ecclesiam pertinemte, cum curte et accessionem et ubi ortus exscolitur insimul tenente. Concessit etiam ii ecclesiam sancti Donini sitam in Monte Uille et ecclesiam sancti Prosperii et ecclesiam sancti Gregorii de Antognano cum omnibus possesionibus ad eas ecclesias pertinemtibus, salvo canonico iure Regensis ecclesie, favente et specialiter consenciente Heriberto Regense episcopo, monasterio sancti Benedicti sito iuxta Padum, in quo monasterio Vuilelmus abas eo tempore preerat. Qui prefatus abas de monasterio suo propter persecucionem Einrici tiranni congregacionem fugiens apud predictam commitissam in montanis sustentatus est. Que misericordia ducta ad sustentacionem fratrum hec omnia, que in hanc cartulam continentur, predicto monasterio in perpetuum concessit cum consensu, sicut dictum est, Regensis episcopi sine omni eidem Matilde conmitisse vel sui heredes contradicionem vel repeticionem. Factu est hoc anno ab incarnacione domini nostri Iesu Christi millesimo nonagesimo secundo, indicione quintadecima. Actum Carpeneta, feliciter. Vgo de Rodilia, Nordino de Gaio, Vbaldinus de Carpeneta, qui interfuerunt testes. (S.N.) Ego Guido notarius sacri palacii interfui et hanc cartulam concessionem scripsi.

Historical context:

The countess bestows a number of possessions on the monastery of San Benedetto Po, whose abbot she had protected when he fled from the emperor, Henry IV.

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), 142-43, ep.44.

Date:

1092, October 5