A letter from Ermengarde

Translated letter:

Certain signs reveal that the end of the world nears with increasing disasters.  Therefore it is fitting that one persist sollicitiously as long as he remains in present life; one must not grow weary of laboring so that eternal things may be purchased/deserved by earthly and sempiternal acquired through transitory.  Therefore I, Ermengarde, humble spouse of king Rudolph, for the remedy of the soul of my lord Rudolph and for the remedy of my soul, constructed the church in honor of St. Mary for the dwelling of the monks of the Savignan monastery of St. Martin and for the rule and jurisdiction of abbot Ither and his successors, and the use of the brothers serving God there according to rule in the county of Alba in the town which is called Talloires.  To which place, with the permission of my lord Rudolph with the counsel of archbishops and bishops, namely Leodegar of Vienne and Emmon of Darentasia and Frederick of Geneva and Pons Velentini and count Umberto and others of our faithful who came together there at the dedication of the church, I gave for the sustenance of the brothers the power in Doussard, with the church and its appurtenances, and Marceau with its appurtenances, and Vesonne with its appurtenances, and the power in Marlens with the church and all its appurtenances and the town Blussy with the church and its appurtenances and Verly and Poney, as much as they are known to have, and one property which is called Ramponet, and the property of Escalivina**, and the forest which is called Iheria and the town Calvonac with its appurtenances and two parts of the tithe of that town.  So that the brothers may hold freely and possess without anyone opposing, and that this donation remain firm and stable always, we sign with our own hand and ask to be signed.  The sign + of Umberto, count.  The sign + of Sigibod.  The sign + of Fulcher.  The sign + of Allodi.  The sign + of Vulardi.

Original letter:

Mundi terminum appropinquare ruinis crebescentibus certa manifestant indicia. Ideoque oportet umquemque solliciter persistere quamdiu in presenti uita subsistit. ut de terrenis aeterna mercentur,* et de transitoriis adquirantur sempiterna. laborando non lasescere. Igitur ego Ermengardis domni radulphi Regis coniux humilis. pro remedio animae senioris mei rodulphi regis et pro remedio animae meae construxi ecclesiam in honorem santae mariae. ad habitationem monachorum sancti martini sabiniacensis monasterii et ad regimen et subiectionem Itherii abbatis et successorum illius, et utilitatem fratrum ibidem deo regulariter famulantium in pago albanense, in uilla quae uocatur Taluueris. Cui loco ex permissione senioris mei rodulfi per consilium archiepiscoporum et episcoporum, scilicet Leodegarii uiennensis et Emmonis darentasensis. et Freidrici genaueusis. et Poncii Velentini et comitis Vmberti et aliorum qui ibidem convenerunt fidelium nostrorum in dedicatione ecclesiae donaui ad uictualia fratrum potestatem de dulsatis cum ecclesia et appendiciis suis. et marsaciacum cum appendiciis. et uesonam cum suis  appendiciis. et potestatem marlensis cum ecclesia et omnibus appendiciis eius et uillam Blusiacum cum ecclesia et appendiciis. et inuerello et inponiaco. quantum uisa sunt habere, et unum mansum qui uocatur ramponeto. et mansum de escaliuina. et siluam quae uocatur iheria. et uillam caluonacum cum appendiciis et duabus partibus decimae ipsius uillae. ut fratres libere teneant et possideant sine ulla contradicente persona. Et ut haec donatio firma et stabilis semper maneat manu propria firmamus et firmari rogamus. Signum + Ymberti comitis. Signum + Sigibodi. Signum + Fulcherii. Signum + Alloldi. Signum + Vulardi.*** 

Historical context:

The queen donates  towns and churches to the monastery which she founded at Talloires.  There are differences between the two editions in names of towns and signatories and in the suggested date. The HPM comes from the Regii Archivii de Corte, edited by Samuel Guichenon in Historiam Regalis domus Sabaudiae probationibus.  HGF from Frag. Hist. D. Estiennot, Bibl. S. Germani Pratis.

Scholarly notes:

*HGF gives mensentur with variant mereantur.

** HGF gives Charuena rather than Escaliuina, Chiera for Iheria, Charuonaci (Charvones) for Caluonacum.

*** The signatures listed in HGF are of Ermengarde, Leodegar, bishop of Vienne, Emmion of Darentasia, Pons, bishop of Valentina, Frederic of Gebenna, and count Umberto.

Printed source:

Historiae Patriae Monumenta, edita iussu Regis Caroli Alberti, Chartarum (Augustae taurinorum e regio typographeo, MDCCCXXXVI), 1. 496.285; also HGF, 11.555-56.  Summary in Regesta Comitum Sabaudiae, ed. Dominico Carutti (Turin:  Fratres Bocca, 1889),  30, #84.

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