A letter from Matilda of Tuscany, countess of Tuscany, duchess of Lorraine (1114, June 15)

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and indivisible trinity. Matilda by the grace of god if she is anything. When we were for some time at Montebaranzone, carrying out various business in the presence of the venerable lord bishops Bernard of Parma, Bonsignor of Reggio, and Manfred of Mantua, men came from Montecchio to complain of certain evils and unjust usages by our officials which had never been imposed by our ancestors/predecessors. Having heard their complaints, as we had often before, and inquired into the truth of the matter by the report of our liegemen, we offered the assent of justice and rescinded the bad usages which had unjustly been imposed on them, at the particular request of the venerable lord bishop Bernard of Parma. We wish it therefore to be known to all our liegemen present and future that we released all the men of Montecchio from then on from all the bad and unjust usages which had prevailed from the time of our mother of good memory Beatrice or had been unjustly imposed on them by us or our officials. And we remit into the hands of said lord bishop of Parma and his successors that this was rescinded in perpetuity, that is, in the future they not pay or do beyond their own wish for us or our men and our successors, forced lodging, care, or other bad usages or unjust requests. The forenamed lord Bernard bishop of Parma rejected for himself and his successors to us or our successors that he would require from then on any other usages or actions from our vassals [arrimannis] of Montecchio except what his predecessors, Cadalus and Enurard, bishops of Parma had from them and only in peace not in war. Whatever is done otherwise than is read here if one is slow to act and, thirty days after he is requested, has not improved he must pay a penalty of 20 Luccan pounds to the other party, with this written which we have ordered to be done firmly remaining valid. Which, so that it be believed truly and held firmly, we have confirmed with the subscription of our hand. I, Matilda by the grace of god if she is anything, have subscribed. I, Bonsignor bishop of the holy church of Reggio, have subscribed. I, judge Ubald, have subscribed. Witnesses were: . . . Enacted in the year of the lord’s incarnation 1114, seventeenth calends of July, indiction 7, at Montebaranzone, happily by the hand of Ubald, chaplain of that countess Matilda.

Original letter:

In nomine sancte et individue trinitatis. Matildis dei gratia, si quid est. Dum olim apud Montem Baruncionis essemus et presentibus do[mi]no Bernardo Parmensium et Bonoseniore Regensium atque Manfredo Mantuanorum venerabilibus episcopis quedam negocia tractaremus, venerunt homines de Monticulo, conquerentes quosdam malos et iniustos usus per nostros ministeriales sibi fieri, qui nunquam antecessoribus illorum fuerunt impositi. Audita itaque illorum querimonia, sicuti sepius illam ante audieramus, atque rei veritate relatu nostrorum fidelium inquisita iusticie assensum prebuimus et omnes malos usus, qui iniuste eis impositi fuerant, maxime rogatu do[mi]ni Bernardi venerabilis Parmensis episcopi illis remisimus. Notum igitur esse volumus omnibus nostris fidelibus tam presentibus quam futuris nos omnes malos et iniustos usus, quos a tempore bone memorie Beatricis matris nostre habuerant aut per nos vel nostros ministeriales eis iniuste impositi fuerant, omnibus hominibus de Monticulo deinceps remisisse et remittentes in manus do[mi]ni iam dicti Parmensis episcopi eiusque successoribus hoc idem perpetuo refutasse, videlicet quod ulterius nobis vel nostris hominibus nostrisque successoribus nullam albergariam, coltam vel aliquos malos usus seu iniustam peticionem ultra illorum proprium velle persolvant aut aliquando faciant. Do[mi]nus autem Bernardus prenominatus Parmensis episcopus per se suosque successores nobis nostrisve successoribus econverso refutavit, quod nostris arimannis de Monticulo nullos alios usus vel factiones deinceps requisierit, nisi quos eius antecessores, videlicet Cadalus et Enurardus Parmenses episcopi, solummodo in pace et non in guerra ex illis habuerunt. Quecumque autem pars aliter, quam supra legitur, deinceps agere teptaverit et infra triginta dies, postquam sibi requisitum fuerit, non emendaverit, penam viginti librarum Lucensium alteri parti debet persolvere, hoc tamen scripto, quod exinde fieri iussimus, firmiter in suo robore permanente. Quod ut verius credatur et firmius habeatur, nostre manus subscriptione firmavimus. Matilda dei gratia, si quid est, subscripsi. Bonussenior sancte Regensis ecclesie episcopus subscripsi. Ego Ubaldus iudex subscripsi. Testes fuerunt: Arduinus de Palude, Maleadobadus, Guido de Berutto, Sasso de Bibianello et Raginerius de Sasso, Ubaldus iudex de Carpineto, Tebertus de Nonantula, Malabranca, Draco, comes Albertus, Teuzo de Parma et alii plures. Actum est anno dominice incarnationis millesimo CXIIII, septimo X kalendas iulii, indictione VII, apud Montem Baruncionis, per manum Ubaldi eiusdem comitisse Matildis capellani, feliciter.

Historical context:

Matilda rescinds for herself and her successors the right to demand lodging of the inhabitants of Montecchio, a right which she condemns as bad usage, and receives a similar rejection of such rights from the bishop of Parma.

Manuscript source:

Parma, Archivio diocesano: Archivio vescovile, Scaffale Q, #13

Printed source:

Die Urkunden und Briefe der Markgräfin Mathilde von Tuszien, ed. Elke Goez and Werner Goez (Hanover: Hahnsche Buchhandlung, 1998), 132

Date:

1114, June 15