A letter from Cecilia and Bernard Ato

Translated letter:

In the name of the Lord.  I, viscount Bernard Ato, and my wife, etc., we give to you, Arnald Pelapol in fief and for the castellancy, that house and that property that was Peter Raymond Vacheta’s in the city of Carcassone with its tower and with its profits and rents; and we give you in fief and for the castellancy that whole honor that was the said Peter Raymond’s wherever it may be:  that is the men and women with their holdings and their payments  and services, and that is lands, vineyards, etc.  Thus we give you in fief and for the castellancy by this agreement that each year you stay with your men and your family/household for eight months in Carcassonne and guard said tower and keep watch always and protect that city, etc. and that you cannot give or sell or mortgage said honor or anything from it except without counsel.  And this written above, what we do not retain from that honor we shall not give or sell to any man or woman without your counsel, but if we wished to mortgage it, we would do so to you if you wished, and if you did not, we would have licence to mortgage to whomever we might wish said honor which came to us and befell us from those who betrayed us, because of that treachery which they committed, namely Carcassonne which they took from us treacherously; we give you, said Arnald and your children and their posterity because of that loyalty which you, Arnald, bore us and you and your posterity should bear us in perpetuity.

I, said Arnald Pelapol, for this named honor which you my lord Bernard Ato, viscount, and my lady Cecilia, viscountess, and your said sons give to me, etc., I swear to you life and limbs and loyalty, etc., I swear to you Carcassonne and its fortifications and its suburbs without deception, etc.  This charter was made on the second Ides of January, Monday.  Sign of Bernard Ato, etc..  Sign of Amoroso of Tresmals and his son William Bernard, etc., in the 1125th year after the mystery of the incarnation of the divine Word.

Original letter:

In nomine Domini.  Ego Bernardus-Ato vicecomes & uxor mea, &c., donamus tibi Arnaldo Pelapol ad fevum & propter castellaniam ipsam estagam & ipsum mansum qui fuit Petri Raymundi Vacheta in civitate Carcassona, cum ipsa turre & cum exitibus & redditibus suis; & donamus tibi ad fevum & propter castellaniam totum illum honorem qui fuit praedicti Petri Raymundi ubicumque sit : hoc sunt homines & foeminas cum suis tenentiis & cum suis usaticis & serviciis, & hoc sunt terras, vineas, &c. Sic donamus tibi ad fevum & propter castellaniam in tali convenientia, ut per quemque annum cum tuis hominibus & tua familia facias stationem in Carcassona per VIII menses & praedictam turrem custodire & gaitare facias omni tempore & ipsam urbem custodias, &c. & ut suprascriptum honorem vel aliquid de illo non possis dare vel vendere aut impignorare, nisi cum nostro consilio. Et hoc suprascriptum quod nos retinemus de ipso honore, non dabimus neque vendemus alicui homini vel foeminae sine tuo consilio, sed si impignorare voluerimus, tibi faciemus, si tu impigno­rare volueris, & si tu nolueris, habeamus licentiam impignorandi cui velimus istum praenominatum honorem, qui nobis advenit atque accessit de traditoribus nostris, propter ipsam traditionem quam fecerunt, scilicet Carcassonam quam in traditionem abstulerunt nobis; donamus tibi praedicto Arnaldo & infantibus tuis & posteritati illorum propter ipsam fidelitatem quam tu Arnaldus portasti nobis & tu & posteritas tua nobis portare debetis in perpetuum.

Ego suprascriptus Arnaldus Pelapol prop­ter istum praenominatum honorem, quem tu senior meus Bernardus-Ato vicecomes & domina mea Caecilia vicecomitissa & praenominati filii vestri donatis mihi, &c., juro vobis vitam & membra ac fidelita­tem, &c., juro vobis Carcassonam & forcias ejus atque suburbios ipsius sine vestro inganno, &c. Facta carta ista II idus januarii, feria II. S. Bernardi-Atonis, &c. S. Amorosi de Tresmals & filii ejus Willelmi Bernardi, &c., anno MCXXV post incarnati Verbi divini mysterium.

Historical context:

After they had recovered Carcassonne in 1124, from which they had been expelled in 1120, probably with the connivance of the count of Barcelona,* Bernard and Cecilia gave properties of the traitors to those who had remained faithful.   The gift included responsibilities to inhabit and guard the city of Carcassonne for eight months and a commitment not to give or sell or mortgage the property without consultation.  The document, one of several of very similar content, includes Bernard's oath of fidelity to the count and countess.  

Scholarly notes:

• See Fredric L. Cheyette, Ermengard of Narbonne and the World of the Troubadours (Cornell University, 2001), 197.

Printed source:

Histoire générale de Languedoc, 5. 919-20, #489.1, CCCXCVIII .

Date: