A letter from Marie of Montpellier (1205, September)

Translated letter:

In the name of God. Let it be known to all that I, lady Marie, daughter of the late William lord of Montpellier, by the grace of God king of Aragon, countess of Barcelona, and lady of Montpellier, not induced by force nor oppressed by anyone, with this present public document to be valid forever for me and for all my people, in good faith among the living I give and I transfer irrevocably to you, lord Peter, by God’s grace king of Aragon, count of Barcelona, my husband, the castrum and town of Montpellier, with all its appurtenances, and appendages, and holdings, and with men and women present and future, and levies [?leuzdis], elders, lords, dominions, and any and all other rights and things pertaining to it by any right or any reason or custom, as my aforesaid father possessed and held them completely and prosperously. In the same way I give to you the castle of Lattes and the town with its rights and appurtenances and the castrum of Castronovo and the town with its rights and appurtenances and the castrum of Monteferrario and town with its rights and appurtenances, and whatever I have or should have in the castrum of Pinano and in the castrum of Castro and their appurtenances and in Lupiano, in Frontiniano and their appurtenances. In the same way I give to you the castrum of Homeliacio with all towns, fortresses belonging to that castrum or to its right and dominion. All the aforesaid things, and whatever I have or should have in all these other places, in every way and every reason, I give to you Peter, king of Aragon, my husband, whether they be fiefs, or vassals, or allodia, whether another holds or should hold it from me, whether I hold it or should hold it from another. I also give to you full and free power to act, make trial, and defend against all persons on behalf of the aforesaid properties and their rights. I give to you all the abovesaid things and whatever belongs to them by the agreement that we should have as long as we live and hold; following my death may you have and keep them for all your life and you may do thenceforth whatever you will, nonetheless such that after your death they should return freely to the infant whom you will have received from me. But if there should not be, God forbid, this my offspring from you or will perish while you are living without offspring, may you have all the abovesaid and whatever right to act wherever I hold or should hold entirely according to your and your people’s will forever. Therefore I cede to you all actions, petitions, restrictions, defenses and rights for the aforesaid or anything of them that belong or should or can belong to me. Regarding each and all of the abovesaid things, I lady Marie, aforesaid queen of Aragon approve, concede, and confirm to you lord Peter, king of Aragon; and thus I will uphold and not contravene it, or even delay or change anything there in deed, word, advice or will expressed or tacit or even presumptive; in good faith through stipulation I promise to you stipulating, and also having physically touched the sacrosanct Gospels I swear willingly, renouncing by the religion of this same sacrament every right, law and custom by the assistance of which I might go against, and moreover especially and knowingly and deliberately the law that forbids donation between man and wife. I do all this on account of the many and great benefits and the very great honor which by your grace and benevolence I know and acknowledge that I have received. And for greater authority of the deed and perpetual memory of the matter, I ratify and confirm this document with authority of my seal. Dated in Quoquolibero the second Sunday of September, in the year of the Lord 1205. Witnesses of this deed are: Examenus of Lavata, prior of the house of Hospitalis of St. Egidius, and Castellanus Compostae, lady Clementia, William of Cervaria, William Durfortis, Bernard Amelei, Berengard of St. Eugenia, Peter of Porta, John of Montebeliardo, William Rotgerius, Simon of Camponovo, Peter of St. William, Raymond Dalrani, Collumbus, etc., Ferarius Notarius. Sign of Peter of Blandis, the lord king’s notary, who by the command of lady Marie, queen of Aragon wrote this under witness of the above-named in the place, month, day and year as above.1

Original letter:

In Dei nomine. Notum fit cunctis quod ego domina MARIA , filia quondam Guillelmi domini Montispesulani, Dei gratia Regina Aragoniae, Comitissa Barchinonis, et domina Montispessulani, non inducta vi, vel in aliquo circumventa, cum hac praesenti publica scriptura in perpetuum valitura per me & per omnes meos, bona fide dono inter vivos et irrevocabiliter trado tibi domino PETRO Dei gratia Regi Aragoniae, Comiti Barchinonis marito meo, castrum & villam Montipessulani, cum omnibus pertinentiis suis, & appenditiis, et tenementis, et cum hominibus & feminis praesentibus et futuris, & leuzdis, seniorivis, dominiis, dominationibus, & omnibus aliis quibuscumque juribus & causis ad ipsum pertinentibus aliquo jure vel aliqua ratione, vel consuetudine, sicut ea melius et plenius habuit & tenuit praedictus pater meus. Eodem modo dono tibi castrum de Latis, & villam cum suis juribus & pertinentiis ; & castrum de Castro-novo & villam cum suis juribus & pertinentiis, & castrum de Monte-ferrario, & villam cum suis juribus & pertinentiis; & quidquid habeo vel habere debeo in castro de Pinano, & in castro de Castris, & eorum pertinentiis; & in Lupiano, & in Frontiniano, & eorum pertinentiis. Eodem modo dono tibi castrum de Homeliacio cum omnibus fortiis, & municipiis ad ipsum castrum vel ad jus ejus & dominium pertinentibus. Omnia praedicta, & quidquid in cunctis aliis locis habeo vel habere debeo, quocumque modo vel quacumque ratione, dono tibi Petro Regi Aragoniae marito meo, sive sint feuda , sive feualia sive alodia; sive alius teneat a me vel tenere debeat, sive ego teneam ab alio, vel tenere debeam. Dono etiam tibi plenariam & liberam potestatem agendi, experiendi, & defendendi contra omnes personas pro praedictis rebus & eorum juribus. Omnia supradicta & quaecumque ad ea pertinent, dono tibi eo pacto ut habeamus quamdiu vixerimus & teneamus: post mortem meam tu habeas & teneas in omni vita tua, & facias inde quidquid volueris; ita tamen quid post dies tuos ad infantem quem de me susceperis, libere revertantur. Quod si mihi talis proles, quod Deus avertat, ex te suscepta non fuerit, vel te vivente sine liberis decesserit, tu habeas omnia supradicta, & quidquid juris ubicumque habeo vel habere debeo, ad omnem tuam tuorumque faciendam voluntatem in perpetuum. Cedo itaque tibi omnes actiones, petitiones, exceptiones, defensiones, & jura quae pro praedictis vel aliquo illorum mihi competunt, aut competere debent vel possunt. Omnia erga supradicta, & eorum singula ego domina Maria praedicta Regina Aragoniae laudo, concedo, & confirmo tibi domino Petro Regi Aragoniae; & quid ita teneam, & contra non veniam, vel etiam sustineam , vel aliquid ibi mutem, facto, dicto, consilio vel voluntate expressa, tacita, vel etiam praesumptiva; bona fide per stipulationem tibi stipulanti promitto, & etiam tactis corporaliter sacrosanctis Evangeliis sponte juro; renuntians per ejusdem sacramenti religionem omni juri, legi & consuetudini, cujus auxilio contra venire possem, & etiam specialiter, & scienter, & consulte, legi illi quae donationem prohibet inter virum & uxorem. Hoc autem totum facio propter multa & magna beneficia, & maximum honorem quem ex tua gratia & benignitate me cognosco & confiteor recepisse. Et ad majorem facti auctoritatem & perennem rei memoriam, hanc paginam sigilli mei auctoritate munio & corroboro. Datum in Quoquolibero secunda Dominica Septembris, anno Domini millesimo ducentesimo quinto. Hujus rei testes sunt: Examenus de Lavata Prior domus Hospitalis sancti Aegidii, & Castellanus Compostae. Domina Clementia. Guiilelmus de Cervaria. Guiilelmus Durfortis. Bernardus Amelei. Berengarius de sancta Eugenia. Petrus de Porta. Joannes de Montebeliardo. Guillelmus Rotgerii. Simon de Campo-novo. Petrus de sancto Guillelmo. Raimundus Dalrani. Collumbus &c. Ferarius Notarii. Signum Petri de Blandis Notarii domini Regis, qui mandato domiae Mariae Reginae Aragoniae hoc scripsit sub testimonio supranominatorum, loco, mense, die & anno quibus supra.

Historical context:

Marie cedes Montpellier and all its appurtenances to her husband, claiming to do so of her own free will.  A castrum is an administrative unit with a fortification/castle at its center.

Scholarly notes:

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

Printed source:

Spicilegium sive Collectio Veterum aliquot Scriptorum qui in Galliae Bibliothecis Delituerant, ed. Luc D’Achery (Paris: 1723), 3.566-67.

Date:

1205, September