A letter from Matilda of Tuscany, countess of Tuscany, duchess of Lorraine (1100, March)

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and indivisible trinity. In the year of the lord’s incarnation 1100. I, Matilda, by God’s grace, if I am anything, together with Guido, count, and his son, called Guido Guerra, pitying the laborious affairs of holy churches, have been especially zealous to liberate some venerable congregations, because of holy men living there, from the yoke of secular powers. Indeed, it is worthy that zeal of highest veneration be shown by all toward the universal churches of God, but the more it is necessary to venerate especially those in which we know the religious persons of men live, the more we believe that the patronage of their prayers can particularly support us. Therefore, by traveling around the provinces of our power, in honor of God and his churches, insofar as we can, we have discovered that the venerable congregations of the monastery of Vallombrosa are being very harshly despised and abused by the audacity of certain faithful subjects of ours, and the most holy places of their dwellings are assailed by the very constant pressure of enemies. Because we knew that the life of these (holy) ones shined in our time more outstandingly before others, and we have heard not with a deaf ear that their praiseworthy reputation of holiness exists everywhere, we considered it worthy and necessary to bestow on them, as appropriate, some sign of our benevolence and an eternal remembrance of our devotion for the advancement of our soul. Therefore, the aforesaid memorable men from the regions of Tuscany, addressing the clemency of our dignity with entreaties regarding the matter related above, requested that a document of establishment be made by us concerning this matter, supported by our authority and confirmed by the testimony of many. Therefore assenting to their worthy requests with the consent and will of the aforesaid counts, while presiding in the Florentine palace, we discussed with our faithful knights and others concerning various matters of this sort, we commanded that what they were justly requesting be done without delay. Therefore we ask, and by commanding we order that thenceforth no duke or marquis, count, viscount, chamberlain or greater or lesser person of any dignity should presume to trouble with habitual injustice the aforesaid monasteries or their places, which exist now for their congregation or may exist in the future, both their possessions and those dwelling on their properties, and specifically should not presume to lodge himself or the men of his army or to compel violently for any fee or secular judgment. And if anyone, God forbid, will attempt to infringe or violate the document of this our establishment, he should know that he will pay a penalty, one hundred pounds of silver, half to our house [treasury?camera], the other half to the aforesaid monasteries; but let this document that we have commanded to be made endure always in its strength. Moreover, so that it may be believed more truly and be considered unshaken and inviolable in future times by descendants, we have also confirmed it by the impression of our seal and by the signature below of our own hand, and we had the aforewritten counts sign below. This was enacted in Florence by the hand of Frogerius, chaplain, with lady Matilda, happily, presiding in her palace. + [I] Matilda, by God’s grace, if she is anything, signed below. + I, Paganus, by God’s grace cardinal of the Roman church, signed below. + I, Peter, bishop of Pistoia, signed below. + I, Guido, count, willingly signed below. + I, Guido, son of above-noted Guido, signed below. + I, Arderic, judge was present and signed below. + I, Ubald, advocate, was present and signed below. Moreover, I Frogerius, unworthily called priest, chaplain of the late Reginus, excellent patron, most humble dictator and writer of this establishment, the more faithfully I desire to commit to the congregations of all the holy, which I was unworthily zealous to commend above, and to their most holy prayers, the more laboriously I was pleased to complete this document even at night for the veneration of God and of them.1

Original letter:

In nomine sancte et individue trinitatis. Anno ab incarnatione domini MC. Ego M. dei gratia, si quid sum, una cum Guidone comite et eius filio Guidone Guerra vocato, compatiens laboriosis sanctarum ecclesiarum negociis, aliquas a iugo secularium potestatum propter inibi conversantium sanctorum virorum venerabiles congregationes liberare summopere studui. Dignum quippe est circa universas dei ecclesias summe venerationis studium ab omnibus exhiberi, sed tanto singularius eas necessarium est venerari, in quibus religiosas virorum personas cognoscimus conversari, quanto credimus eorum orationum patrocinia posse nobis singularius suffragari. Unde nostre potestatis provincias ad dei honorem, quantum possumus, et eius ecclesiarum circumeundo comperimus, venerabiles congregationes monasterii Vallisumbrose a quorundam nostrorum fidelium presumptione nimium acriter conculcari ac despici, eorumque habitationum sanctissima loca nimiis iniquorum assiduitatibus conveniri. Quorum vitam, quia nostro tempore pre ceteris excellentius fulgere cognovimus eorumque laudabilem sanctitatis famam ubique redolere non surda aure persensimus, aliquod eis, ut decuit, nostre benevolentie signum nostreque devotionis memoriale perpetuum ad anime nostre provectum impendere dignum et necessarium duximus. Quapropter predicti sepius memorabiles viri in Tuscie partibus nostre dignitatis clementiam pro superius relato negocio precibus adeuntes, postularunt a nobis super hac re institutionis scriptum fieri, nostra auctoritate suffultum multorumque testimonio comprobatum. Quare eorum dignis petitionibus una cum consensu et voto predictorum comitum annuentes, dum in Florentino palatio presidentes cum nostris militiarum et aliorum fidelibus de diversis et huiusmodi negociis tractaremus, quod iuste postulabant, incunctanter fieri iussimus. Rogamus igitur atque precipiendo mandamus, ut nullus deinceps dux aut marchio, comes, vicecomes, gastaldius aut cuiuscumque dignitatis maior vel minor persona predicta monasteria vel eorum loca, que modo de eorum congregatione sunt aut in futuro esse poterunt, tam eorum possessiones quam in eorum possessionibus commorantes presumant solita iniuria molestare, videlicet neque per se, neque per sue militie homines albergare aut ad aliquod fodrum sive seculare iudicium violenter compellere. Si quis autem, quod absit, huius institutionis nostre paginam temerare aut infringere tentaverit, centum librarum argenti, medietatem camere nostre, aliam medietatem predictis monasteriis poenam se compositurum noverit; scriptum tamen, quod fieri iussimus, in suo semper permaneat robore. Quod ut verius credatur et futuris temporibus inconcussum et inviolabile a posteris habeatur, nostri etiam sigilli impressione et proprie manus subscriptione firmavimus et prescriptos comites subscribere fecimus. Actum est hoc apud Florentiam per manum Frogerii capellani, presidente domina Mathilda in palatio suo, feliciter. + Matilda dei gratia, si quid est, subscripsi. + Ego Paganus dei gratia Romane ecclesie cardinalis subscripsi. + Ego Petrus Pistoriensis episcopus subscripsi. + Ego Guido comes libens subscripsi. + Ego Guido, suprascripti Guidonis filius, subscripsi. + Ego Ardericus iudex interfui et subscripsi. + Ego Ubaldus advocatus interfui et subscripsi. Ego autem Frogerius, indigne dictus sacerdos, quondam Regini presulis egregii cappellanus, huius vero institutionis dictator et scriptor humillimus, tanto fiducialius omnium sanctorum congregationibus, quas superius commendare indigne studui et eorum sanctissimis orationibus committere concupisco, quanto laboriosius ad dei et illorum venerationem hoc scriptum noctu etiam perficere me nullatenus piguit.

Historical context:

With the agreement of local counts, Matilda grants special protection to a monastery that has been suffering from the oppressions of other local lords.

Scholarly notes:

1 Asleigh 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.57.

Date:

1100, March