A letter from Almodis and Raymond Berenguer

Translated letter:

In the name of the Lord.  I Raymond Berengar count of Barcelona, and countess Almodis, and our children surrender and determine and remove [ourselves] to Raymond Bernard viscount and to his wife Ermengard and their children, all those castros and all those towns with all their territories and churches and all those allods which count Peter Raymond and his son Roger had and held there, and men through them in the county of Carcassonne, and [Razès]* and in the county of Toulouse and in the county of Narbonne and Minerve, except that castle of Couffoulens with its territory and except that town of Cazilhac with its territory.  All those named above we surrender and determine and remove, I, the above-named count R. Berengar, and countess Almodis and our children to viscount Raymond Bernard and his wife Ermengard and their children in faith without any deception and without any reserve, so that from this day we do not have license to accuse or disturb by any trick all those named above, not we nor our posterity against you and your posterity, but they should remain secure to you and your posterity for all time.  This charter of surrender and removal and security was made on this kalends of March, in the year of the Lord 1068.  Sign of Raymond-Berengar count and of Almodis countess and of our sons Peter, Raymond and Berengar, we who ordered this charter of surrender to be made and signed it with our hands and asked it to be signed.  Sign of Gerald Alamand. Sign of Dalmatio Bernard of Petrataliada.  Sign of Imbert Gauzbert. Sign of Guirald-Lupi.  Sign of Siger Salomon. Sign of Raymond Recimi.  This surrender was made in the presence of lord Guifred arichbishop and Frotar bishop of Nîmes, and Durand bishop of Toulouse, and Elefant, bishop of Apt, and William of Montpellier, and abbot Matfred, and Bernard Telinari, and Raymond Stephen of Cerviano, and other good men who were present at this assembly.  Bernard, priest, wrote this as requested.

Original letter:

In nomine Domini.  Ego Raymundus-Berengarii Barchinonensis comes, & Adalmudis comitissa, & infantes nostri guirpimus, & diffinimus, & evacuamus ad Raymundum-Bernardi vicecomitem, & ad uxorem ejus Ermengardem, & ad infantes eorum, totos ipsos castros , & totas ipsas villas cum suis totis terminis & ecclesiis, & totos ipsos alodes, quos Petrus-Raymundus comes & Rogarius filius ejus habuerunt, & tenuerunt & homines per illos in comitatu Carcassensi, aut [Redensi], & in comitatu Tolosano, & in comitatu Narbonensi & Menerbensi, excepto ipso castro de Confolent cum suo terminio, & excepta ipsa villa de Casiliag cum suo terminio. Ista omnia superius dicta guirpimus & diffinimus & evacuamus ego superius dictus comes R. Berengarii, & Adalmudis comitissa, & infantes nostri ad Raymun­dum-Bernardi vicecomitem, & uxorem ejus Ermengardem, & infantes eorum per fidem sine ullo enganno, & sine ullo reservo, ut ab hodierno die non habeamus licentiam appellare vel inquietare per ullum ingenium haec omnia superius dicta, neque nos neque posteritas nostra ad vos neque ad posteritatem vestram, sed secura vobis & posteritati vestrae permaneant omni tempore. Facta carta guirpitionis, & evacuationis, & securitatis istius kalendis martii, anno Domini mLxviii. S. Raymundi-Berengarii comitis, & Adalmudis comitissae, & filiorum nostrorum Petri, Raymundi & Berengarii, qui hanc cartam guirpitionis fieri jussimus, & firmavimus manibus nostris, & firmari rogavimus. S. Geraldi-Alamandi. S. Dalmatii Bernardi de Petrataliada. S. Imberti-Gauzberti. S. Guiraldi-Lupi. S. Sigerii-Salomonis. S. Raymundi-Recimi. Haec guirpitio fuit facta in praesentia domni Guifredi archiepiscopi, & Froterii Nemausensis episcopi, & Tolosani Durandi episcopi , & Aptensis Elephantis episcopi, & Guillelmi de Montepessulano, & Matfredi abbatis, & Bernardi-Telinari, & Raymundi-Stephani de Cerviano, & caeterorum bonorum hominum qui adfuerunt in ipso placito. Bernardus presbyter rogatus scripsit.

Historical context:

Presumably in return for the sale to them of Carcassonne and Razès, the count and countess of Barcelona grant Ermengard and her husband the lands they have sold, the inheritance from Ermengard’s father and brother, with certain exceptions.  A castrum is an administrative unit with a castle at the center.

Scholarly notes:

* Vaissete suggest Razès to fill the lacuna.

Printed source:

Histoire Générale de Languedoc HGL 5.557-58, #284.1, CCXXXIX.  

Date: