A letter from Adelaide

Translated letter:

On Friday which is the fourth kalends of February, in the town of Carmagnola, in the presence of good men, whose names are contained below, Henry, marquis, son of the late William, similarly marquis, and Adelaide, countess, daughter of Oldric Manfred of good memory, similarly marquis, spouses, with the consent of her husband, granted to the church of St. John, which is the head of the bishopric of Turin, by name a parish church built within the city of Susa in honor of St. Mary, and  every tithe in the valley of that city of Susa, and all its churches except three, namely the monastery of St. Justin built within that city, and a chapel built within the castle of that city in honor of St. Mary, and a church which was built in honor of St. Anthony, and the already mentioned tithes of all churches of that valley of Susa, together with the aforesaid parish church in that city, said spouses granted to be held on the part of that church of St. John, head of the bishopric of Turin, and these spouses made an offering, as is contained below on the part of that church of St. John, if it should happen ever in time that that marquis Henry and countess Adelaide, their heirs and future heirs, or any subject persons should presume to act or bring a claim against said parish churches of said city and all the aforesaid except the said three churches, and all the above tithes of that valley of Susa, as rimmed by the mountains called Ginevra and Cenis and that mountain in Altareto, and as rimmed by the Alps between the kingdom of Burgundy and the kingdom of Italy and if they did not remain silent for all time or if those spouses or their heirs and future heirs did not presume to destroy this charter of grant and offering on the part of that church of St. John by any trick, in that complaint/quarrel, they are obliged to lay out to the part of the above church of St. John, which is the head of the bishopric of Turin, against which they presumed to act or bring a claim, all the tithes that are contained above doubly.  And moreover the penalty, by stipulation, is a fine of four hundred ounces of the best gold, eight hundred weights of silver, and they could not make good the claims they sought, but they ordered that this charter remain firm and stable for all time and persist untroubled with stipulation removed.  Indeed the spouses, marquis Henry and countess Adelaide, ordered this charter of grant and obligation to be confirmed on the part of this church of St. John [by] Arnold and Greservert by a cloth of launachid,* that this charter as contained above may remain and persist firm and uncorrupted for all time.  And that was done happily in this third year of the reign of lord Henry, God favoring, on this Friday, tenth indiction.

Sign by the hands of these spouses marquis Henry and countess Adelaide, who asked this charter as read above to be made and accepted this launachid as above.  Sign by the hands of Arnold, Greeservert, Rostagno, Otbert, witnesses living by Salic law, who were present.  I, Giselbert, notary of the sacred palace, who was there, wrote this charter.

Original letter:

Die veneris que est quarto kal. februarii, vico Caramaniola, presentia bonorum hominum, quorum nomina hic subter continentur, concederunt dominorum Heynricus marchio filius quondam Wilielmi similique marchioni et Adalagide comitisse iugales filia bone memorie Odolrici, qui et Magnifredi similique marchonis per consensu eidem viro suo, ecclesie sancti Iohannis , que est caput episcopatus Taurinensis, nominative plebe una constructa infra civitate Seusie in honore sancte Marie, et omne decimam valle eiusdem civitate Seusie , seu ecclesiis omnibus, exceptis tribus, videlicet monasterio sancti Iusti constructum infra eadem civitate, et capella una constructa infra castro eiusdem urbem in honorem sancte Marie, seu ecclesia que est constructa in honore sancti Antonii , ceterarum quoque ecclesiarum et iam dicta decima omnia eiusdem valle Seusie una cum predicta plebe infra eadem ci­vitate iam dictis iugalis a parte iste ecclesie sancti Iohannis caput episcopatus Taurinensis ad habendum concederunt et inde taliter isti iugales oblationem fecerunt, qualiter hic subter continetur a parte paris (sic) eiuidem ecclesie sancti Iohannis quia, si unquam in tempore contigerit, ut ipse Heynricus marchio et Adelaida comitissa, eiusdem heredes ac proheredes , sive per aliquas sumitentes personas agere, aut causare presumserint, iam dicte plebes suprascripte civitatis et pre­dictis omnibus exceptis iam dictis ecclesiis tribus, seu suprascripta omnis decima eiusdem vallis Seusie, sicut detinent montes qui nuncupantur Genevus, et Cinisio, seu mons ille, in quo Altareto dicitur et sicut detinent alpes inter regnum Burgondie et Italicum regnum et si taciti exinde omni tempore non permanserint, vel si hunc brevem concessionis et oblationis partem eius­dem ecclesie sancti Iohannis per quodvis ingenium corrumpere presumpserint ipsi iugales, aut eorum heredes, ac proheredes, tunc obligaverunt componere parti, seu suprascripte ecclesie san­cti Iohannis, que est capud episcopatus Taurinensis eandem querimonia, in qua agere aut causare presumserint certa ista plebe et ecclesiis exceptis iamdictis tribus, pseu (sic) decima omnia ut supra continetur in duplum. Et insuper pena stipulationis nomine que est multa auri, obtimi onciis quatuor centi , argenti pondera octocenti et si repetierint, vendicare non valeant, sed presens hunc brevem omni tempore firmum stabilemque permaneat, atque persistat inconvulsa cum stipulatione subnixa. Quidem et ad hunc brevem concessionis et obligationis confirmandum iusserunt istorum iugales Heynricus marchio et Adeleyda comitissa ex parte paris iste ecclesie sancti Iohannis de Arnaldus et Greservertus eiusdem ecclesie launachid panno , ut hunc breve qualiter supra continetur omni tempore firmum et incorruptum remaneat atque persistat. Et ideo factum est hoc anno regni domini Heynrici, Deo propitio, tertio, isto die veneris, indictione decima feliciter.

Signum manibus istorum Heynrici marchionis et Adeleyda comitissa iugales, qui hunc brevem, qualiter supra legitur, fieri rogaverunt et isto launachid acceperunt ut supra.

Signum manibus Arnaudi, et Greserverti sen Rostagni, sive Otberti lege viventes Salica, qui interfuerunt, testes.

Ego Gislebertus notarius sacri palatii, qui interfui et hunc brevem scripsi.

Historical context:

The countess and her second husband give a church and all the tithes in the valley of Susa, with three exceptions, to the main church of the bishopric of Turin, St. John's. 

Scholarly notes:

* A launachid is a token gift to confirm a renunciation, to recompense the renouncers, the givers, usually a garment the monks gave the donors, see Muletti, 196, n.8. 

Printed source:

Muletti, Memorie storico-diplomatiche appartenenti alla città ed ai marchesi di Saluzzo (Saluzzo:  lobetti-Bodoni, 1829), 1.195-97.

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