A letter from Ermengarde

Translated letter:

To the sacrosanct church of God which was constructed to the honor of his mother St. Mary and the glorious martyr, St. Vincent, within the city of Grenoble, I queen Ermengarde give, for the redemption of my soul by royal right, a certain church of St. Mary in the bishopric of Grévisaudan, in a place which is called “at Aix,” with all the tithes pertaining to it.  And I give it a property in old Chambery and another in Cate, in a place which is called great Gutta.  And I give all these to God and his said holy church of Grenoble where lord bishop Artald is known to preside.  In such a way that it remain in perpetuity for the use of that church or its canons serving God there, without any opposition or fraud.  By this agreement I give to that church the house of Elbo in the borough of Chambery.  Let it be known since two men of the same name, who are called Elbo, possess it.  If, let it not be, any man or woman should oppose this our donation and instruction, and attempt to undo or violate it, let him not carry out what he unjustly seeks.  But let him perish, excommunicated, with the devil in hell unless he repent, and moreover let him pay two thousand sous for the crime of his boldness.  And let  this donation remain firm and stable, confirmed by this stipulation.  By this decree and instruction, I give and grant to said church and the already named bishop Artald and his successors in perpetuity all those altars which my lord and husband king Rudolph held by royal right in that bishopric and someone for him, and which I now hold, and someone for me.  Sign of lady Ermengarde, queen, who did this, approved and ordered this charter to be written and commanded it to be confirmed by witnesses.   Sign of lord Leodegar, archbishop of Vienne.  Sign of Artald, provost of the church of Vienne.   Sign of Wigo, decan of that church.  Sign of Richard, archpriest of the church of Grenoble.  Enacted at Vienne by the hand of Peter, chancellor of the holy church of Vienne in the 1057th year of the incarnation of our lord Jesus Christ, in that year in which Henry II, emperor, died, and there is no king of Burgundians.   In the month of August, Friday, epact 12, indiction 10, luna 20, with our true lord Jesus Christ ruling world without end, amen.

Original letter:

Sacrosancte dei ecclesie que est constructa ad honorem dei eiusque genitricis marie sanctique vincentii gloriosi martyris infra urbem gratianopolim. ego hermengardis regina . dono pro redemptione anime mee ex regali iure quamdam ecclesiam S. Marie in eodem gratianopolitano episcopatu in loco qui dicitur ad aquis. cum omnibus decimis ad ea pertinentibus . et dono ei unum mansum in cambariaco vetere et alterum in cute in loco qui dicitur gutta grandis . Dono itaque hec omnia Deo sancteque sue iam dicte gratianopolitane ecclesie. ubi domnus Artaldus episcopus preesse videtur. tali tenore . ut in perpetuum ad opus ipsius ecclesie.vel in usu canonicorum ibi deo seruientium sine alicuius contrarietate vel defraudatione permaneat. hac eadem conuenientia dono eidem ecclesie domum Elbonis in burgo de cambariaco . quando hoc cognitum sit . quia istam domum duo homines equiuoci. ldest qui uno nomine vocantur. idest Ebo possident. quod si quod absit aliquis homo aut femina huic nostre donationi et preceptioni contrarius extiterit . et ea dissipare vel infringere temptauerit. non valeat perficere quod iniuste quesierit . sed excommunicatus cum diabolo in infernum nisi penituerit pereat. et insuper duo millia solidos pro temeritatis culpa persoluat. et hec donatio firma stabilisque permaneat cum adstipulatione subnixa. hac eadem constitutione et preceptione dono atque concedo supradicte ecclesie et iam nominato episcopo Artaldo. et suis successoribus in perpetuum. omnia illa altaria que dominus et maritus meus Rex Rodulfus regali iure tenuit in eodem episcopatu et alius pro eo. et que ego modo teneo. et aliquis pro me. Signum domne hermengarde regine que hanc fecit laudauit et hanc cartam scribi iussit et firmari testibus mandauit. Signum domni Leudegaris archiepiscopi viennensis . Signum Artaldi prepositi viennensis ecclesie. Signum vigonis decani eiusdem ecclesie . Signum Richardi archipresbiteri gratianopolitane ecclesie . Actum vienne manu petri cancellarii sancte ecclesie viennensis anno incarnationis domini nostri iesu christi MLVII . eodem anno quo mortuus est heinricus secundus imperator rege burgundionum deficiente . mense augusti feria vi epacta xii ind. x luna xx domino vero nostro iesu christo regnante in secula seculorum amen.

Historical context:

The queen gives a church, a property, and a house to the church of Grenoble.

Manuscript source:

Tab. Cam. Comp. Gratianopolit. Chartarium S. Hugonis. 

Printed source:

L. Cibrario,  Documenti, sigilli e monete appartenenti alla storia della monarchia di Savoia … (Torino:  Stamperia Reale, 1833), 31-33.  Summarized in Regesta Comitum Sabaudiae, ed. Dominico Carutti (Turin:  Fratres Bocca, 1889)  52, #149.  

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