A letter from Miro Gilbert

Translated letter:

In the name of the Lord.  I, Miro Gilbert, cleric, son of the late bishop Gilbert, am the seller to you, lady Almodis, countess.  By this charter of my sale, I sell you freely and solidly without any retention that town which is called Capraria, with all its buildings, alone and above one another, with cultivated and barren [lands], with river banks and waters and viaducts and drains and with their boundaries and all their appurtenances, together with that church of St. Saviour, which is there, with its tithes and first fruits and offerings and all its appurtenances.  Which town is located in the county of Barcelona with all its said appurtenances, and it came to me by gift of my father bishop Gilbert, and which was forfeited by my sister Ermesind by her rights.  Which town with all the aforesaid abuts: in the east the town of Fontaned, which is also called Piera, in the south the towns of Terrazola and Vite, in the west the town of Mediona, in the north the towns of Clarmont and Capelades.  How much these four abutments enclose and is enclosed within them, I said Miro sell to you, said Almodis, countess, the said town of Capraria with its aforesaid boundaries and all its appurtenances and with said church of St. Saviour, with everything that pertains to it, as your own allod for the price of 175 marks of Barcelona money legitimately weighed at ten to the ounce, which you gave me and I took from you, as is manifest; I hand over all the aforesaid by my right into your rule and power to do whatever you might wish.  If I, seller, or any other man or woman, should try to break this document of sale, we would not be able to get what we sought, but I or he/she would pay you all the above doubly with its improvement; and afterwards this writing of sale would remain firm for all time.  This document of sale was made on the 8th kalends of October in the 3rd year of the reign of king Philip.  Miro Guilbert + who ordered this charter of sale to be made, signed, and asked it to be signed.  +Sign of William, deacon.  +Sign of Pons, sacristan.  +Sign of Hugo Dalmaci.  +Sign of Bernard Raymond of Kamarasa.  +Sign of Adam.  +Sign of William Bernard of Odena.  Raymond Wilfred+.  +Sign of Raymond Gaudall.  Deusdedit, deacon.  +Berengar, subdeacon, who wrote this document of sale, with the letters added above in lines 4 and 8, on the day and year above.

Original letter:

In nomine Domini. Ego Miro Guilaberti, clericus, qui fui Guilaberti, episcopi, venditor sum tibi, domne Almodi comitisse. Per hanc cartam vendicionis mee vendo tibi libere et solide et sine ullo retentu ipsum castrum quod dicitur Capraria, cum suis edificiis omnibus et cum solo et superposito, cum culto et heremo, et cum rivis et cum aquis et vieductibus et reductibus et cum suis terminis et pertinenciis omnibus, simul cum ipsa ecclesia Sancti Salvatoris, que ibi est, cum suis decimis et primiciis et oblacionibus et pertinenciis omnibus. Quod castrum est situm in comitatu Barchinonensi cum supradictis omnibus suis pertinenciis, et advenit mihi per donum patris mei Guilaberti episcopi sive quia incurrit mihi ex parte sororis mee Ermesindis sive per voces suas. Quod (et) castrum cum predictis omnibus afrontat: de parte orientis in ipso castro de Fontaned, quod alio nomine vocatur Apiaria, de meridie in ipso castro de Terrazola sive in illo de ipsa Vite, de occiduo in ipso castro de Mediona, de circio vero in ipso castro de Clarmont sive in Capelades. Quantum iste quatuor afrontaciones includunt vel infra has includitur, sic vendo ego iam dictus Miro tibi, prescripte Almodi, comitisse, iam dictum castrum de Capraria cum predictis suis terminis et pertinenciis omnibus, ct cum predicta ecclesia Sancti Salvatoris, cum omnibus que sibi pertinent, ad tuum proprium alodium propter precium clxxv mancusos monete Barchinone legitime pensatos de decem in uncia, quos tu mihi dedisti et ego a te suscepi, et est manifestum ; que omnia iam dicta de meo iure in tuum trado dominium et potestatem ad faciendum omnia quecunque volueris. Quod si ego venditor aut ullus alius homo vel femina venero vel venerit contra hanc scripturam vendicionis ad inrumpendum, non valeamus vindicare quod requisierimus, sed componam aut componat tibi predicta omnia in duplo cum sua inmelioracione; et in postmodum hec scriptura vendicionis firma permaneat omni tempore. Facta scriptura vendicionis VIII kalendas octobris anno III regni Philippi, regis. Mironi Guisliberti, + qui hanc cartam vindicionis fieri iussi, firmavi et firmare rogavi. Sig+num Guillermus, levita. Sig+num Poncii, sacri custos. Sig+num Ugonis Dalmacii. Sig+num Bernardi Raimundi de Kamarasa. Sig+num Adam. Sig+num Guillermi Bernardi de Odena. Raimundus Guifredi+.  Sig+num Raimundi Gaudalli. Deusdedit, levita. +Berengarius, subdiaconus, qui hanc scripturam vindicionis scripsi, cum litteris suprapositis in IIII et in VIII linea, die et anno quo supra.

Historical context:

Sale by Miro Gilbert to the countess of the town of Capraria, to which his sister had a claim.  The sister would later sell the same town to the count and countess, so either her brother’s statement that she had forfeited her share was false, or she had fought and won it back, cf. #336, Epistolae, 25589.html.

Printed source:

LFM 1.356-57, #334.  

Date: