A letter from Almodis and Raymond

Translated letter:

This is the agreement which lord Raymond, count of Barcelona, and lady Almodis, by the grace of God countess, make with Gerbert Miro of that town of Stopaniano.  Said count and countess entrust to said Gerbert said town and give to him in fief half of the tithes from the territory of said town and half the shares which said town now has, and half the toll, except a fifth part of this whole which is inscribed, which said count and countess already give to the church of said town.  And said count and countess hold that presbytery in their dominion with all things that should pertain to it, and they give it a tithe of that salt and three hostalitates (light obligations), one of Exeb from Saragoza, another of Cannef, and another of Tamm, which Berengar of Isarno holds, and they give him each year 500 Barcelona marks (mancusos).  And said Gerbert agreed to said count and countess that for this he would be their leige (solidus) as a man should be with his higher lord, and and would do the fealty and fidelity to them at their will; and the castellan or castellans whom said Gerbert would send to said town would hold there, assiduously, 10 of the best knights, with the best horses and provisions and hauberks and helmets for said moveable which said Gerbert takes each year from said count and countess, except for said Gerbert and household.  And said Gerbert agreed to said count and countess that that castellan or castellans or female castellans who held that castle through said Gerbert, be men of said count and countess and do fidelity at their will, and so give them the power over said town, without deception, as many times as said count and countess, or one of them, requested power from them over said town by him/herself or by their messenger or messengers.  Also, said Gerbert agreed to said count and countess that for the said fief which they now give him, he would hold and have daily as many of the best knights in said town, well armed and mounted, as said count and countess judged he could have and hold there assiduously; and according as said fief improved year by year at the service of said Gerbert and his people, said Gerbert would so increase the number of knights who would serve diligently in said castle, according to the judgment and approval of said count and countess.  And said Gerbert agreed with said count and countess that he and all his castellans, with said knights, would make up for them or one of them from these, military service and mounted expeditions and courts and assemblies every time the count and countess ordered them to do so.  And said Gerbert would make war with his castellans and with said knights against all men the count or countess ordered him to, and they would hold peace with the men they wished him to; and while the count or countess made or had war in Spain, said Gerbert would be in the town with his household.  Also, said Gerbert agreed to said count and countess that from this day forward they would have no lord without their will and counsel, and would break faith with those whom he now has and they wanted him to; afterwards, he would not hold them without their will.  And if said Gerbert does not hold and keep to said count and countess all the inscribed agreements without deception and does not respond to their order within 40 days that they commanded him by themselves or their messengers, unless they released him so far freely without force, before three or four good men who would make that release with them, said town with all the above would revert to the  power of said count and countess to do what they wished without anger and rancor from said Gerbert and his people.  And said count and countess give said Gerbert that property of Annadre and that of Pedre Belid and that of Enneg Alcastel, and half the tithe which said count and countess have retained, and half the shares which they now have there, and half the toll and a quarter of the salt which they have retained there.  And said count and countess give said Gerbert those aforenamed three properties and said half of the tithe and the share and the toll and a quarter part of salt, so said Gerbert holds this whole in his power, if all the aforesaid do not revert to the power of said count and countess without rancor from said Gerbert.  Gerbert Miro.  This was enacted on the nones of February in the 4th year of the reign of king Philip.

Original letter:

Hec est convenientia quam domnus Raimundus, Barchinonensis co­mes, et domna Almodis, gratia Dei comitissa, faciunt cum Girberto Miro­nis de ipso castro de Stopaniano. Comendant predicti comes et comitissa ad iam dictum Girbertum prefatum castrum, et donant ei per fevum medietatem de decimis de termino iam dicti castri et medietatem de parias quas predictum castrum modo habet, et medietatem de tolneo, excepta quinta parte de hoc toto quod est suprascriptum, quam iam dicti comes et comitissa donant ad ecclesiam prefati castri. Et iam dicti comes et comitissa tenent ipsum presbiteratum ad dominium cum omnibus rebus que debent pertinere ad ipsum, et donant ei decimam de ipsa sale et tres ostalitates, una de Exeb a Saragoza et alia de Cannet et altera de Tamm, quem Berengarius Isarni tenet, et donant ei per unumquemque annum d mancusos de Barchinona. Et convenit iam dictus Girbertus ad predictum comitem et comitissam ut propter hoc sit solidus illorum, sicut homo debet esse de suo meliori seniore, et faciat eis fidancas et fidelitatem ad voluntatem eorum ; et ut mittat castellanum aut castellanos in iam dicto castro per totas vices quas ibi miserit eos, ad consilium et voluntatem eorum ; et castellanus aut castellani, quos iam dictus Girbertus miserit in predicto castro, teneat ibi assidue x optimos cabellarios, cum obtimis caballis et alsbergis et elmis per predictum mobile, quod iam dictus Girbertus aprehendit per unumquemque annum de predictis comite et comitissa, excepto iam dicto Girberto et mesnada. Et convenit iam dictus Girbertus ad iam dictos comitem et comitissam ut ipse castellanus aut castellani sive castellane qui tenuerint ipsum castellum per iam dictum Girbertum, sint homines de iam dictis comite et comitissa et faciant eis fidelitatem ad voluntatem eorum; et ut donent eis potestatem de predicto castro, sine illorum enganno, per quantas vices iam dictus comes et comitissa, aut unus ex illis, requisierit potestatem ad eos de predicto castro per se ipsum aut per nuncium aut nuncios eorum. Item, convenit predictus Girbertus ad iam dictos comitem et comitissam ut per supradictum fevum quod modo donant ei, teneat et habeat cotidie tantos obtimos caballarios in predicto castro bene armatos et incavalgatos, quantos predictus comes et comitissa estimaverunt quod ipse potuerit ibi assidue habere et tenere; et secundum quod predictum fevum se melioraverit per singulos annos ad opus iam dicti Girberti et de suis, iam dictus Girbertus ita acrescat numerum de caballariis, qui stent assidue in predicto castro, iuxta extimacionem et laudamentum iam dicti comitis et comitisse. Et iam dictus Girbertus convenit ad predictos comitem et comitissam ut ipse et omnes sui castellani, cum predictis caballariis, faciant ad eos aut ad unum ex istis, hostes et cavalgadas et curtes et placitos per omnes vices quas comes et comitissa mandaverit facere eis. Et predictus Girbertus faciat guerram cum suis castellanis et cum predictis caballariis ad omnes homines quibus comes aut comitissa mandaverit facere ei, et teneant pacem ad eos homines quibus ipsi voluerint; et dum comes aut comitissa fecerint aut habuerint guerram de Ispania, iam dictus Girbertus stet in castro cum sua mesnada. Item, convenit predictus Girbertus ad iam dictos comitem et comitissam ut ab hodierno die et deincebs non faciant ullum seniorem sine voluntate et consilio eorum, et desfidet ipsos quos modo habet et ipsi voluerint; postea, non retineat eos sine voluntate eorum. Et si non tenet et non attendet iam dictus Girbertus ad predictos comitem et comitissam totas suprascriptas conveniencias sine illorum engan et non facit ad eos direc­tum infra XL, dies quod ipsi mandaverint ad eum per se ipsos aut per suos nuncios, nisi quantum absolverint ad eum per gratum sine forca, coram tribus aut quatuor bonis hominibus qui faciant ipsum absolvimentum cum eis, iam dictum castrum cum predictis omnibus revertatur in potestatem predicti comitis et comitisse ad faciendum quod voluerint sine ira et marrimento de iam dicto Girberto et de suis. Et iam dicti comes et comitissa donant ad predictum Girbertum ipsum mansum de Annadre et ipsum de Pedre Belid et ipsum de Enneg Alcastel, et medietatem de decimam quam iam dicti comes et comitissa habent retentam, et medietatem de pariis quam modo habent ibi, et medietatem de tolneo et quartam partem de sale quam ibi habent retentam. Et iam dictus comes et comitissa donant ad iam dictum Girbertum istos supradictos tres mansos et predictam medietatem de decima et de paria et de tolneo et quartam partem de sale, ut iam dictus Girbertus teneat hoc totum ad dominium, si non revertantur predicta omnia in potestate iam dicti comitis et comitisse sine marrimento de predicto Girberto. Girbert Miro. (H)actum est hoc nonas febroarii anno iiii regni Philippi, regis. 

Historical context:

Details of the agreement made between the count and countess and Gerbert Miro over the town of Stopaniano.  The pronouns are confusing, “they” referring sometimes to Raymond and Almodis, sometimes to Gerbert’s men.

Printed source:

LFM 1.56-57, #40.  

Date: