A letter to Guitard William and his wife Guilia

Translated letter:

In the name of God.  This is the agreement that count Raymond and countess Valencia made with Guitard William of Mediano and his wife Guilia on the castrum of Lliminiana and that township (villa) that said Guitard and his said wife have said castrum and town by the hand and in fief from their said lords, and that castrum and township that William Folc has by the hand of said Guitard and his said wife in that way that Alaman held and had it through said Guitard.  And said William Folc would make to the aforementioned Guitard and his wife an agreement and fidelity such as Alaman did on the day he received* Lliminiana.  And if there should come in any way an opening break from said William, another follower (comitor) who will have held Lliminiana through said Guitard and his wife, would be there for all time at the counsel and order of said count and countess; and he would hold that governance that William holds and would be of the county of Pallars.  If, however, an opening break came in any way from Raymond Brocard, the aforementioned Guitard and his wife would send another castellan into said castrum and town at their command and will; and that castellan would be of the county of Pallars, and the commended and solid man of said William and his attendant who held Lliminiana.  And those castellans of Lliminiana would lodge the armies of count Urgell with said Guitard and his son who held Lliminiana.   And said Guitard agreed also that in armies of count Urgell, he and his son would always lodge them for count Raymond and his son who held Lliminiana.  Enacted on the 12th kalends of January in the 20th year of king Philip.  Sign+ of count Raymond. Sign+ of countess Valencia.  Sign+ of Guitard William. Sign+ of Guilia, we who made this agreement and had it signed by witnesses and signed it.  Sign+ of William Guitard. Sign+ of Bernard Mir of Arilia. Sign+ of Remon Bovet. Sign+ of Arnald Dalmaz. Sign+ of Remon Bernard. Sign+ of Oliver Bernard.  Raymond, clerk, wrote this as asked on the day and year stated.

Original letter:

In Dei nomine. Hec est conveniencia que faciunt Raimundus comes et Valencia comitissa apud Guitardi Guillelmi de Mediano et eius coniuge Guilia de ipsum castrum de Liminiana et de ipsa villa, quod habeant predictus Guitardus et sua coniuge predicta predictum castrum et villa per manum et per fevum de supradictos suos seniores, et quod habeat Guillelmus Fulco iam dictum castrum et villam per manum de predicto Guitardo et de eius coniuge predicta sub tali modo, sicut Alamanus hoc tenebat et habebat per Guitardo iam dicto. Et Guillelmus Fulconi iam dictum faciat ad prephato Guitardo et suam coniugem convenienciam et fidelitatem ita, sicut Alamanus fecit ad diem quando accaptavit Limi­niana. Et si venerit ullo modo inobertura de predicto Guillelmo, alium comitorem qui tenuerit Liminiana per Guitardo iam dicto et per suam coniugem, sit ibi omni tempore ad consilium et mandamentum de supradicto comite et comitissa; et teneat ipsam dominicaturam quod Guillielmus tenet et siat de comitatu Paliarensis. Si, autem, inobertura venerit ullo modo de Reimundo Brocardo, alium castellanum mittant in supradicto castro et villa prephatus Guitardus et eius coniux ad illorum mandamentum et voluntatem; et ipsum castellanum sit de comitatu Pa­liarensis, et sit homine comandatus et solidus de supradicto Guillelmo et de eum comitorem qui tenuerit Liminiana. Et in-hostes de comite Urgello albergent ipsos castellanos de Liminiana apud Guitardo iam dicto et cum suo filio qui tenuerit Liminiana. Et Guitardus iam dictus convenit eciam ut in-hostes de comite Urgello alberget omni tempore ille et suo filio qui tenuerit Liminiana apud comite Raimundo et cum suo filio qui tenuerit Liminiana. Actum est hoc XII kal. ianuarii anno XX regis Philippi. Sig+num Raimundus comes. Sig+num Valencia comitissa. Sig+num Guitardi Guillelmi. Sig+num Guilia, qui hanc convenien­ciam fecimus et testibus firmare fecimus et eam firmavimus. Sig+num Guillelmi Guitardi. Sig+num Bernardi Mironi de Arilia. Sig+num Remon Bovet. Sig+num Arnald Dalmaz. Sig+num Remon Bernard. Sig+num Oliver Bernardo. Raimundus, clericus, rogatus scripsit et die et anno que prefixo.

Historical context:

Agreement between the count and countess and Guitard William of Midiano on the castrum of Lliminiana. A castrum is an administrative district including a castle, a fortification. On the complicated hierarchies of such arrangements, see Adam Kosto, Making Agreements in Medieval Catalonia: Power, Order, and the Written Word, 1000-1200 (Cambridge UP, 2001), 91-92.

Scholarly notes:

*The word is accaptavit , referring to payment made on the change of a lord.

Printed source:

Liber Feudorum Maior,  1.119, #119.