A letter from Bertha

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and individual Trinity.  To the monastery that was constructed near the walls of the city of Turin in honor of the blessed always virgin Mary and the saint martyrs Solutor, Adventor and Octavius, where lord Romanus is now known to be ordained abbot.  We the above Oldric/Ulric, also marquis Manfred, son of the late Manfred similarly marquis, and countess Bertha, spouses, daughter of the late Otbert also marquis, who am professed by my birth to live by the law of the Lombards, but now for that same husband of mine am known to live by Salic law; with that same spouse and guardian (mundoaldo) consenting and confirming below, and by the just law under which I was born, together with the notice of my nearest relatives, in whose presence or witness I make the certain profession that having suffered no violence from any man, not from that (my) spouse and lord, but by my own good and spontaneous will, we therefore call ourselves the offerers and donators of that monastery.   Whoever confers anything from his own things on holy and venerable places, according to the word of the author[ity], will receive a hundredfold in this world and moreover, what is still better, will possess eternal life.  Therefore we, the above Oldric, who is marquis Manfred, and countess Bertha, spouses, give and offer from the present day to that monastery of St. Mary and and saints Solutor, Adventor and Octavius, for the mercy of our souls one garden/orchard (braida) which is next  to the palace near the city of Turin on the left side coming from that palace.  Adjacent to it on one side is the wall of the city, and another the land of that monastery, on another that of judge Anfred, on the fourth side the Roman road, and any others that may be adjacent.  Moreover we also give and grant, I who am called Oldric, who is marquis Manfred, above, and countess Bertha, to the abovenamed monastery by this charter of offering within our whole county of Turin, Vercelli, Ivrea, Asti, Viviers (?Albensi), Aubenas (? Albinganensi), Ventimiglia, Parma, Piacenza, Ticino, Aix,  so that if any free man or woman, servant or handmaid, should confer anything of their things, moveable or immoveable, on this venerable monastery, without false claim or opposition from us and our heirs, [it] may have the power of judging, giving, selling, if the above things pertain in any way to us or our heirs, from then on all these might come into the property and will of said monastery, for the mercy of our souls and those of our relatives.  Then on that day the above abbot with his brothers associated us and our heirs in his prayers, that is in vigils, masses, alms, psalms, and all the benefits of that monastery, so that almighty and merciful  God may grant us the society of his saints in eternal life, amen.  We have taken under our protection and defense said monastery with all its things, moveable and immoveable, namely with all benefits and lands, which were granted, judged, or donated to this venerable monastery by bishops of the Turin church or by all other faithful, for the love of God and the most glorious virgin Mary and the saint martyrs, Solutor, Adventor and Octavius, in whose honor this monastery was constructed, after the donation of the Turin bishop, without any temporal gain or reward.  Let it be known to all our faithful and to all other men, that we have no tribute, no fee, no right of housing, nor any obligation in the whole land of that monastery, namely in Giaveno, in every Sangano court, in Carignano, in Susinasco, in Tegerone, in Borgaro, in Settimo Torinese, or in Pianezza, not in the whole countryside, not in the Col San Giovanni, nor in any other place that pertains to the said monastery, do we have or wish to have anything, but only we should have the [duty of] defense and protection by us and our heirs in perpetuity.  If anyone indeed , which I do not believe will happen, if we marquis Manfred and countess Bertha, above, let it not be, or any of our heirs and future heirs, or any man [we] attempted to go against this charter of donation and offering, or sought to break it by any trick, then we would bring on on that part against which we brought suit, a punishment which is a fine of one hundred ounces of the best gold, one hundred weights of silver, and that we would not be able to make good the claim we brought.  And that this present charter of offering, of donation, remain and persist untroubled, with the added stipulation.  Enacted in the palace of lord Manfred, marquis, in the city of Turin, in the 1031st year, indiction 15.

This sign of the already mentioned lord Manfred, marquis.  Judge Bergundo of the sacred palace was there.  Judge Erenzo was there.  Walpert judge of the sacred palace was there,  Warner judge of the sacred palace was there.  Boso, judge of the sacred palace was there.

Sign by the hands of the subscribed Adalbert and Opizo, each marquis, who [are] brothers of that same Bertha ....  Sign by the hands of Cunibert and William, marquises living by Salic law, witnesses.  Sign by the hands of Robald, Albert, and again Cunibert, and Dominic, witnesses.  I Giselbert, notary of the sacred palace, gave over this charter after I completed it. 

Original letter:

In nomine sancte et individue Trinitatis.  Monasterio quod constructum fuit prope muros civitatis Taurinensis in honore beate semperque virginis Marie et sanctorum martyrum Solutoris, Adventoris et Octavii, ubi nunc domnus Romanus abba ordinatus esse videtur.  Nos qui supra Odelricus, qui et Manfredo marchio, filius quondam item Manfredi similiter marchio , et Berta comitissa iugalibus , filia quondam D. Autberti itemque marchio , que professa sum ex natione mea lege vivere Longobardorum, sed nunc pro ipso viro meo legem vivere videor Salica; ipso namque iugale et mundoaldo mihi consentiente et subtus confirmante , et iusta lege  in qua nata sum, una cum noticia de propinquioribus parentibus meis, in quorum presentia vel testium certam facio professionem, quod nullam me pati violentiam ad quempiam hominem, nec ab ipso iugale et mundualdo meo, nisi mea bona et spontanea voluntate, offertores et donatores ipsius monasterii propterea diximus. Quisquis in sanctis ac venerabilibus locis ex suis aliquid contulerit rebus , iuxta actoris vocem, in hoc seculo centuplum accipiet et insuper, quod melius est, vitam possidebit eternam. Ideoque nos qui supra Oldricus, qui et Magnifredus marchio , et Berta comitissa iugalibus donamus et offerimus a presenti die in eodem monasterio sancte Marie sanctorumque Solutoris, Adventoris et Octavii pro mercede animarum nostrarum braidam unam, que est iuxta palatium prope de civitate Taurino ad sinistram partem exeunte de eodem palatio. Coherent ei de una parte murum civitatis, ex alia parte terra ipsius monasterii, ex alia parte Anfredi iudicis, ex quarta parte strata Romea, et si alie ibi sint coherentie. Etiam insuper donamus atque concedimus ego qui supra Oldricus qui Magnifredus marchio dicor, et Berta comitissa iugalibus suprascripto monasterio per hanc cartam offersionis in toto nostra comitatu Taurinensi, Vercellensi, Iporiensi, Astensi, Albensi, Albinganensi, Vigintimiliensi, Parmensi , Placentinensi, Ticinentii, Aquensi, ut si aliquis liber homo aut libera, servus vel ancilla aliquid de rebus suis mobilibus et immobilibus con­tulerit huic venerabili monasterio, sine calunia, et contradictione nostra nostrorumque heredum potestatem habeat iudicandi, donandi, vendendi, si suprascripte res aliquo modo ad nos vel ad nostros heredes pertinuerint, dehinc in antea veniant hec omnia in proprietate et voluntate suprascripti monasterii, pro animabus nostris seu parentum nostrorum mercede. Tunc ipso die suprascriptus abbas cum suis fratribus nos nostrosque heredes in suis orationibus, idest in vigiliis, in missis, in helemosinis, in psalmis et in cunctis beneficiis ipsius monasterii sociavit, ut Deus omnipotens et misericors det nobis societatem sanctorum suorum in vitam eternam, amen. Nos autem infrascriptum monasterium cum omnibus rebus suis mobilibus et immobilibus, cum omnibus beneficiis et terris videlicet, que ab episcopis Taurinensis ecclesie, vel ab aliis cunctisque fidelibus sunt concesse vel iudicate, seu donate huic venerabili monasterio pro Dei amore et gloriosissime virginis Marie sanctorumque martyrum Solutoris, Adventoris et Octavii, in honore quorum est constructum istud monasterium, in nostra tutela et defensione post donationem Taurinensis episcopi sine ullo temporali lucro vel premio suscepimus. Notum autem sit om­nibus nostris fidelibus cunctisque aliis hominibus , quod nullum placitum, nullum districtum, nullamque albergariam, nec aliquod debitum in omni terra ipsius monasterii, videlicet in Gavenno, in omni curte Sangano, in Carniano, in Susinasco, in Tegerone, in Bulgare, in Septimo, nec in Planicia, nec in tota campania, nec in Collo sancti Iohannis, nec in aliquo loco quod pertineat ad infrascriptum monasterium aliquid habemus vel habere volumus, sed tantummodo defensionem et tuitionem nostram nostrorumque heredum nos in perpetuum habere debemus. Si quis vero contra hanc cartam donationis et offersionis, quod futurum esse non credo, si nos qui supra Magnifredus marchio et Berta comitissa, quod absit, aut ullus de heredibus ac proheredibus nostris, seu quislibet homo ire quandoque temptaverimus aut per quodcumque ingenio frangere quesierimus, tunc inferamus ad illam partem, contra quam exinde litem intulerimus, mulcta que est pena, auri optimi uncias centum, argenti pondera centum, et quod repetierimos evendicare non valeamus. Et presens hanc cartam offersionis donationis permaneat atque persistat inconvulsa cum stipulatione subnixa. Actum in palacio domni Maginfredi marchionis in civitate Taurinensis, anno millesimo trigesimo primo, indictione xv.

+ Hoc signum iam dicti domni Maginfredi marchionis. Bergundius iudex sacri palatii interfuit. Erentio iudex interfuit. Walpertus iudex sacri palatii interfuit.  Warnerius iudex sacri palatii interfuit.  Boso iudex sacri palatii interfuit.

Signum ++ manibus infrascriptorum Adalberti et Opizoni utriusque marchionis , qui eadem Berte germane ...... Signum +++ manibus Cuniberti et Wilelmi seu mar­chionis legem viventes Salica, testes. Signum ++++ manibus Robaldi, Alberti seu item Cuniberti, et Dominicus, testes. Ego Gislabertus notarius sacri palatii hanc cartam post traditam complevi et dedi.

Historical context:

The countess and her husband donate a piece of land to the monastery of Sts. Solutor, Adventor, and Octavius, as well as the right to receive gifts from anyone in their territories.

Printed source:

Muletti, Memorie storico-diplomatiche appartenenti alla città ed ai marchesi di Saluzzo (Saluzzo:  lobetti-Bodoni, 1829), 1.177-180.

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