A letter from Ermengard and Raymond Bernard

Translated letter:

In the name of the Lord.  I Raymond Bernard viscount and his wife Ermengard viscountess, we together as one make this determination and removal and surrender to you Raymond, count of Barcelona, and lady Almodis, countess, of the whole city of Carcassonne, and those towns which are in the circuit of said city and all those fees and moneys from that city and those towns and all the markets of that city and those towns and all the jurisdictions of that city and those towns and those markets, and all the lands that give tithes and first fruits to those churches which are in that city and those towns, and the whole viscounty and whatever pertains to that viscounty or ought to pertain to it.  Also we remove [ourselves] and determine and surrender to you said count and countess that whole bishopric and the see of St. Nazarius of Carcassonne, and as much as pertains to said bishopric and to said see, moreover that abbey of St. Mary which is in that town of said city and all those churches which are in said city and in its towns, and all things and possessions pertaining to said abbey, and to said churches.  Also we remove and determine and surrender to you, said count and countess, that castle of Coufoulens and that town with its territory, and that town of Cazilhac with its territory and with its appurtenances, and that abbey of St. Mary of La Grasse and that abbey of St. Hilarius, and all that pertains to both said abbeys or should pertain in whatever way in their possessions and in all things and all those fiefs which the count of Carcassonne held in whatever way from the count of Toulouse in the county of the Carcassès and in the Toulousain, and all those allods and fiefs and that whole honor which Roger count of Foix had and held or men through him everywhere in the days of count Peter Raymond and of Roger his son.  Also we remove and determine and surrender to you said count and countess all the mills and rights to grind, and that river with its headwaters and appurtenances and meadows, pastures and rights of pasturage, and all other things from said territory of Carcassone.  We receive however from you for all the above in payment 1100 ounces of gold coin in the weight of Barcelona.  All said things with their boundaries and abutments and with all things or possessions which pertain to all said [places] or ought to or can pertain to them, we, said viscount Raymond and said viscountess Ermengard, determine and remove and surrender into the power of said count and countess by righteous faith, without any evil trick.  This determination, removal, and surrender was made so firmly and sincerely and entirely that no man or woman can break it but it should remain untroubled always for all time.  This determination, removal and surrender was made on 6 nones of March, in the year 1067 from the Incarnation of Christ, 8th [year] of the reign of king Philip.  Sign of Raymond-Bernard, viscount.  Sign of Ermengard, viscountess [we] who  made this determination, removal, and surrender and signed it and asked our witnesses to sign it.  Peter, priest, who as requested wrote the sheet of this bestowal subscribed it on the day and year stated.

Original letter:

In nomine Domini.  Ego Raymundus Bernardi vicecomes & uxor ejus Ermengardis vicecomitissa, nos simul in unum facimus vobis domno Raymundo Barcheonae comiti & domne Adalmodi comitissae hanc diffinitionem, evacuationem, & guirpitionem de tota ipsa civitate de Carcassona, & de totos ipsos burgos qui in circuitu jamdictae civitatis sunt, & de totas ipsas leddas & monetas de ipsa civitate & de ipsos burgos, & totos ipsos mercatos de ipsa civitate & de ipsos burgos, & totas ipsas terras quae donant decimas & primitias ad ipsas ecclesias quae in ipsa civitate & in ipsos burgos sunt, & totum ipsum vicecomitatum, & quantum ad ipsum vicecomitatum pertinet vel pertinere debet.  Item evacuamus & diffinimus & guirpimus vobis praescriptis comiti & comitissae totum ipsum episcopatum & sedem Sancti Nazarii de Carcassona, & quantum pertinet ad jamdictum episcopatum & ad jamdictam sedem, insuper & ipsam abbatiam de Sancta Maria quae est in ipso burgo jamdictae civitatis, & totas ipsas ecclesias quae sunt in jamdicta civitate & in ejus burgos, & omnes res & possessiones pertinentes ad jamdictam abbatiam, & ad jamdictas ecclesias.  Item evacuamus & diffinimus & guirpimus vobis praescriptis comiti & comitissae ipsum castrum de Confolent, & ipsam villam cum suo terminio, & ipsam villam de Casiliag cum suo terminio & cum suis pertinentiis, & ipsam abbatiam Sanctae Mariae Crassae, & ipsam abbatiam Sancti Hilarii, & hoc totum quod pertinet jamdictas ambas abbatias aut debet pertinere qualicumque modo in possessionibus & rebus omnibus, & totos ipsos fevos quos comes de Carcassona tenuit qualicumque modo per comitem de Tolosa in comitatu de Carcassez, & totos ipsos fevos quos Petrus-Raymundi comes tenuit per comitem de Tolosa in Carcassez & in Tolosano, & totos ipsos alodios & fevos & totam ipsam honorem quem Rodgarius comes de Fox habuit & tenuit aut homines per illum in cunctis locis, in  diebus Petri-Raymundi comitis & de Rodgario filio suo.  Item evacuamus & diffinimus & guirpimus vobis praedictis comiti & comitissae totos molendinos & molendinariis, & ipsa ribera cum suis caputaquis & pertinentiis, & pratis, pascuis, & pasturas, & omnibus aliis rebus de isto supradicto terminio de Carcassona.  Accepimus autem a vobis per supradicta omnia in pretium mille centum uncias auri monetae Barcheonae ad pensum.  Praedicta vero omnia cum suis terminis & affrontationibus, & cum omnes res vel possessiones quae ad jamdicta omnia pertinent vel pertinere debent vel possunt, nos praedicti Raymundus vicecomes & praedicta Ermengardis vicecomitissa diffinimus, & evacuamus, & guirpimus in potestate praedictis comitis & comitissae per directam fidem, sine ullo malo ingenio.  Facta hac diffinitione, evacuatione, & gurpizone ita firmiter & sinceriter & integriter, ut nullus homo vel foemina non possit eam disrumpere, sed semper omni tempore maneat inconvulsa.  Fuit facta haec diffinito, evacuatio, & gurpizo VI nonas martii, anno ab Incarnatione Christi MLXVII, VIII regni Philippi regis.  S. Raymundi-Bernardi vicecomitis.  S. Ermingardis vicecomitissae, qui hanc diffinitionem, evacuationem & gurpizonem fecimus & firmavimus, & testes firmare rogavimus.  Petrus presbyter qui hujus scedulam largitionis rogatus scripsit & subscripsit die annoque praefixo.

Historical context:

This is the first recorded sale to the count and countess of Barcelona of Carcassonne with assorted castles and abbeys by Ermengard and her husband, territory that was not altogether in their control.  The sale is partly a way to assert Ermengard’s right to that territory against the claims of her cousin Roger, count of Foix.

Printed source:

Histoire Générale de Languedoc  5.548-49, #280.1, CCXXXV; also in Liber Feudorum Maior, 2.301-02, #818. 

Date: