A letter from Pontius Peter of Agantico (1204, August)

Translated letter:

In the name of the Lord, in the year of his incarnation 1204, in the month of August, seventeenth kalends of September. I, Pontius Peter of Agantico, for me and for my successors, in good faith and without deceit, with this present charter I give and concede forever to you, lord Peter king of Aragon, count of Barcelona and lord of Montpellier and of the castrum of Omellatio, in the name of lady Marie queen of Aragon your wife, and both your and her successors, lords of the town of Montpellier and the castrum of Omellatio, to do all your will and that of your (people) fully, namely allod, seigneury, jurisdiction and half, collectively, of the castrum of Popiano, half of which my mother Vierna now holds and possesses; and generally whatever right I hold or will hold either from succession of my mother Vierna or in another way, to all the said castrum of Popiano, either what my mother holds and possesses in all the said castrum and its appurtenances or another (holds) for her. And I promise to you, lord king, stipulating that this aforesaid gift, which among living (witnesses) I make to you in the name of said queen, I will cause to be inviolably held and maintained always secure from any contradiction or challenge; and concerning all this I give to you and to the lady queen and to your people recompense on all my property; and I swear to you on these four holy Gospels of God that I will firmly observe all this and not contravene it. And I, Peter , by God’s grace king of Aragon, count of Barcelona and lord of the town of Montpellier and the castle of Omellatio, receiving the aforesaid gift in my name and of Marie, queen of Aragon, my wife, I give and forever concede to you, Pontius Peter and your successors, for me and for our successors, as feudal honor all the aforesaid half of the castrum of Popiano and the other half that we hold in said castrum , and generally whatever we have or should have in said castrum , namely seigneuries, dominions, jurisdictions, sureties, rights, territories and councils, fiefs and vassal men and women, and generally all rights that we have and should have in said castrum with its adjacent properties, such that concerning the said castrum of Popiano you and your successors must do homage, swear fidelity and render said castrum to me and the lords of Montpellier and of the castrum of Omellatio whenever we wish in war and in peace. And I promise and agree, stipulating to you that I will cause you and your people to have always and keep peacefully the aforesaid half of the castrum of Popiano and I will defend by right from any man or woman contradicting; and if anything thenceforth will be taken from you or your people by legal action, I will always restore everything to you and your people by right completely. All these things were enacted and approved at Montpellier, in the place of the late Peter of Pecthavin that Raymond of Cahorcio holds. Witnesses of all these things are: Ascalt William of Aurofort, Bernardino Bernard, Peter of Mount Olive, Bernard Amelius, Peter scribe, Raymond Panicer, Raymond of Portz and William Raymond, notary of the lord king who wrote this.
And I, Marie, daughter of late lord William lord of Montpellier, queen of Aragon, countess of Barcelona and lady of the town of Montpellier and of the castrum of Omellacio, receiving the aforesaid donation of half the castrum of Popiano, as was said, made by you Pontius Peter to me and to the lord king my husband, approve and confirm it forever, and I give as feudal honor to you Pontius Peter and to your successors all the said half castrum of Popiano and the other half that I held of the said castrum, in the same way and with same agreements and contracts by which it was conceded and given by the lord king to you above. And I, Pontius Peter, under said oath, do homage to you my lady, queen of Aragon, from the present and I acknowledge fidelity and homage to you and to your successors the lords of Montpellier and of the castrum of Omellacio, as is contained fully above. Witnesses are Guido provost of Magalonensis, Gaucellin, canon, Pontius Raymond, P. of Podio-albo, Scornellus, Bigorra, Bernard of Prato Pallarez, Bernard of Collo, and William Raymond, notary of the lord king who wrote this.1

Original letter:

In nomine Domini, anno incarnacionis ejusdem MCCIIII, mense augusto, xvii kal. septembris. — Ego Poncius Petri de Agantico, per me et per successores meos, bona fide et sine dolo, cum hac presenti carta dono et in perpetuum concedo tibi, domino Petro regi Arragonie, comiti Barchilonie et domino Montispessuli et castri de Omellacio, nomine domine Marie regine Aragonie uxoris tue, et successoribus tuis et suis, dominis ville Montispessuli et castri de Omellatio, ad omnes voluntates vestras et vestrorum plenarie faciendas, videlicet alodium, se- gnoriam et jurisdictionem et medietatem pro indiviso castri de Popiano, quam medietatem mater mea Vierna modo habet et possidet; et generaliter quicquid juris habeo , vel ex successione matris mee Vierne, vel alio modo habiturus sum, in toto dicto castro de Popiano, vel ipsa mater mea in toto dicto castro et suis pertinenciis habet et possidet, vel alius pro ea. — Et promicto tibi domino regi stipulanti quod hanc predictam donacionem, quam inter vivos tibi facio nomine dicte regine, faciam inviolabiliter firmam semper haberi et teneri ab omni contradicente vel evincente; et de omni hoc dono tibi et domine regine et vestris retornum super omnia bona mea; [et] totum hoc firmiter me observaturum et contra non venturum juro vobis super hec sancta quatuor Dei Evangelia.—Et ego Petrus, Dei gratia rex Arragonie, comes Barchilonensis et dominus ville Montispessuli et castri de Omellatio, recipiens predictam donacionem nomine meo et Marie regine Arragonie uxoris mee, dono et in perpetuum concedo tibi Pontio Petro et successoribus tuis, per me et per successores nostros, ad feodum honoratum, totam dictam medietatem castri de Popiano et aliam medietatem quam in dicto castro habemus, et generaliter quicquid in dicto castro habemus vel habere debemus, scilicet segnorias, dominaciones, juridiciones, firmancias, et justicias, dominia et consilia, feoda et feuales homines et feminas, et generaliter omnia jura que in dicto castro, cum suis adjacentiis, habemus et habere debemus, ita scilicet quod pro jam dicto castro de Popiano debetis, tu et successores tui, michi et dominis Montispessuli et castri de Omellacio, facere hominium et jurare fidelitatem et reddere dictum castrum quocienscumque voluerimus, in pace et in guerra. Et promicto et convenio tibi stipulanti quod predictam medietatem castri de Popiano faciam te et tuos habere semper et tenere quiete, et ab omni contradicente, homine et femina, jure defendam; et si aliquid inde a te vel tuis fuerit evictum, totum tibi et tuis jure semper in integrum restituam. — Acta sunt hec omnia et laudata apud Montempessulum, in stari quondam Petri Pecthavini quod tenet Raymondus de Cahorcio. Horum omnium testes sunt: Ascaltus Guillelmus de Auroforti, Bernardinus Bernardus, Petrus de Monte-olivo, Bernardus Amelius, Petrus scriptor, Raymondus Panicerius, Raymondus de Portz et Guillelmus Raymondi, domini regis notarius, qui hec scripsit. — Et ego Maria, filia quondam domini Guillelmi domini Montispessuli, regina Aragonie, comitissa Barchilonensis ct domina ville Montipessuli et castri de Omellacio, per me et per successores meos recipiens predictam donacionem medietatis castri de Popiano, ut dictum est, a te Poncio Petro mihi et domino regi marito meo factam, laudo et in perpetuum confirmo, et dono ad feodum honoratum tibi Poncio Petro et tuis successoribus totam dictam medietatem castri de Popiano et aliam medietatem quam in dicto castro habebam, eodem modo, et pactis, et convencionibus eisdem quibus a domino rege superius tibi datum est et concessum. —Et ego Poncius Petri, sub dicto juramento, hominium tibi domine mee, regine Arragonie, facio de presenti, et fidelitatem et hominium recognosco tibi et tuis successoribus dominis Montispessuli et castri de Omellacio, sicut supra plenius continetur. — Testes sunt : Guido Magalonensis prepositus, Gaucellinus canonicus , Poncius Ramundus, P. de Podio-albo, Scornellus, Bigorra, Bernardus de Prato Pallarez, Bernardus de Collo, et Guillelmus Ramundi domini regis notarius qui hoc scripsit.

Historical context:

Pontius Peter of Agantico confers as gift castrum of the castle of Popiano to Peter king of Aragon and to Marie his wife and receives all of the same castrum from them as fief.  The castrum is an administrative unit with a fortification/castle at the center.

Scholarly notes:

1. The text and translation were provided by Ashleigh Imus.

Printed source:

Layettes du Trésor des Chartres, ed. A. Teulet, Paris, 1863, 1.266-67, doc.722..

Date:

1204, August