A letter from Ermengard

Translated letter:

In the name of the highest God.  I, Ermengard of Béziers and also of Carcassonne, and my son Bernard-Ato, equally viscount, set on the route of the Holy Sepulchre, fearing the magnitude of our sins, etc., we give in alms for the purging of our souls, to the Lord God and St. Mary of the monastery of La Grasse and the lord abbot Robert and the monks of that place present and future, something from our heredity, which came to us by hereditary right through succession from our parents, namely the whole town of Cazilhac which is in the county of Carcassonne with all its territories, etc., we give it thus as allod without any reservation:  and that said town of Cazilhac shares boundaries in southwest with the territory of Palaiano and Aquaviva, in the south with Alonegas and Aulaldoix and Maurino, in the northwest with Cavanac and Seillans and Canemals, and in the north with Roitovet.  As much as is included within these boundaries, we give to God and St. Mary of La Grasse etc.  We also give the church of St. Hilarius of said town of Cazilhac with its tithes and first-fruits and offerings and burials and with everything that pertains to that church.  All these as written above we give to the Lord God and to St. Mary of La Grasse, so that the monks and inhabitants of that monastery delight always to pray for us to God and for the souls of our parents, and the blessed mother of God, Mary, may obtain mercy for us with her son our Lord, etc.  This charter of donation was made on 10 kalends of July, in the year 1101 from the Incarnation of the Lord, in the reign of king Philip.  Sign of Ermengard viscountess of Béziers and also of Carcassonne.  Sign of Bernard-Ato viscount, her son.  Sign of William-Pons of Carcassonne.  Sign of Arnald Jauslen of Carcassonne.  Sign of Peter Arnald his son.  Sign of Pons Peter of Massilia.  Sign of William Ferrol of Carcassonne.  Sign of William, nephew of viscountess Ermengard.  Sign of Cecilia, viscountess of Carcassonne who approved this charter and signed it in the chapter of St. Mary of La Grasse, before lord abbot Robert and the rest of the congregation.  John, monk, wrote it on the day and year above.

Original letter:

In nomine Dei summi.  Ego Ermengardis Biterrensis vicecomitissa simul & Carcassonae, & filius meus Bernardus-Ato pariter vicecomes positus in itinere Sancti Sepulchri, timentes peccatorum nostrorum magnitudinem, &c., donamus in elemosinam pro emundatione peccatorum nostrorum Domino Deo & beatae Mariae monasterii Crassensis & domno abbati Rodberto & monachis ipsius loci praesentibus & futuris aliquid de haereditate nostra, quae nobis jure haereditario advenit per successionem parentum nostrorum, scilicet totam villam de Casilag quae est in comitatu Carcassense cum omnibus suis terminiis, &c, sic donamus ad alodem sine ulla reservatione:  & habet affrontationes ipsa villa suprascripta de Casilhac, de Altano in terminio de Palaiano & de Aquaviva, de Meridie in terminio de Alonegas & de Aulaldoix & de villa Maurino, de parte Circi in terminio de Cavanag & de Sellano & de Canemals, & de Aquilone in terminio de Roitovet.  Quantum infra totas istas affrontationes includitur, sic donamus Deo & Sanctae Mariae Crassae, &c.  Donamus etiam ecclesiam Sancti Ilarii ipsius villae suprascriptae de Casilag cum decimis & primiciis & oblationibus & cimiteriis & cum omnibus quae ad ipsam ecclesiam pertinent.  Haec omnia sicut suprascriptum est donamus Domino Deo & Sanctae Mariae Crassae, ut monachos & habitatores ipsius monasterii delectet semper orare pro nobis ad Dominum & pro animabus parentum nostrorum, & beata Dei genitrix Maria obtineat nobis veniam apud filium suum Dominum nostrum, &c.  Facta carta donationis istius X kalendas julii, anno ab Incarnatione Domini MCI, regnante Philippo rege.  S. Ermengardis Bitterrensis vicecomitissae simul & Carcassonae. S. Bernardi-Atoni vicecomitis filii sui.  S. Guillelmi-Poncii de Carcassona.  S. Arnaldi Jauslen de Carcassona.  S. Petri Arnaldi filii sui.  S. Poncii Petri de Massilia.  S. Guillelmi Ferrol Carcassona.  S. Guillelmi nepotis Ermengardis vicecomitissae.  S. Sisilia, vicecomitissae de Carcassona qui istam cartam laudavit & firmavit in capitulo Sanctae Mariae Crassae, coram domno Roberto abbate & reliqua congregatione.  Joannes monachus scripsit die & anno quo supra.

Historical context:

As they go off to the Holy Land, Ermengard and her son give a town to the monastery of La Grasse, noting that they hold it by hereditary right from their parents. The geographic directions are given by the names of winds.

Printed source:

Histoire Générale de Languedoc 5.770-71, #410.1, CCCXXXI.  

Date: