A letter to Berenguer, count of Barcelona

Translated letter:

In the name of the Lord.  I, countess Ermessenda, am the pledger to you, my son Berenguer.  For it is manifest that I give you pledges [for] that castrum of Cabrera, and of Besora, and of Curul, and of Duo Castella, and of Orís, and of Luçan and Merles, and Voltregà, Balçaren, Sorisa, Castell Tallad, Calders, Granaria, and Murede, Odena, Castellbel, Vacherices, Tagamanent, Taradel, Barcelona, Montekandano, St. Vincent, Resubio, Arapruniano, Vila de Maier, Monteagud, Cherol, Pinnana, and Cardona.  Indeed, all the above castles with all their territories, boundaries, and adjacencies and appurtenances and alods and churches,  I thus give you the pledge that from this day forward I shall hold to you and keep that settlement and peace which I have sworn to you.  And I, said Ermessenda, shall hold and keep to you, said count Berenguer, that oath as this oath is written, and I shall not wrong you in it.  And if I should wrong you in it, within the first forty days that you warn me in the name of the oath, I will redress it or pay compensation if you wish to receive it.  And if within the said first forty days I do not redress or compensate that wrong or wrongs, all said castros with all their territories, boundaries, and adjacencies and appurtenances and alods and churches and all their comital authorities, which the count has there, are forfeit, paid back to your power to do with as you will.  And if I, countess Ermessenda, ignore the warning over those wrongs, these pledges are forfeit into the power of my son Berenguer.  And I, countess Ermessenda, for this reason, give these said pledges so that if those pledges which my son Berenguer gave me before for all the above should previously be forfeit into my power, my pledges would be absolved from all bonds that I might do with them whatever I wished.  Bernard+. Peter, bishop +.  This pact or agreement was enacted on the 5th ides of October in the 27th year of the reign of king Robert.  +Ermessenda, countess by the grace of God, I who made this pledge and asked that  it be signed.  Sign+ of Gondebald.  Sign+ of Mir of Fabricata. Sign+ of Gauzfred Bernard. Sign+ of Ermengaud Bernard. Sign+ of William of Montagnola.  Vigfred, deacon, who wrote this on the day and year above.

Original letter:

In nomine Domini. Ego Ermessendis, comitissa, impignoratrix sum tibi, filio meo Berengario. Manifestum est, enim, quia mitto tibi pignoras ipsum castrum de Cabrera, et castrum de Besora, et castrum Curul, et castrum Duo Castella, et castrum Oris, et castrum Luçan et Merles, et castrum Voltragan, et castrum Balçaren, et castrum Sorisa, et cas­trum Castell Tallad, castrum Calders, castrum Granaria, et castrum Murede, et castrum Odena, et castrum Castellbel, et castrum Vacherices, et castrum Tagamanent, et castrum Taradel, et castrum de Barchinona, cum castro de Montekandano, et castrum Sancti Vincencii, et castrum Resubio, et castrum Arapruniano, et castrum Vila de Maier, et castrum Monteagud, et castrum Cherol, et castrum Pinnana et castrum Cardona. Supradicta omnia, quip[p]e, kastella cum omnibus terminis, finibus et adiacenciis et pertinenciis et alaudibus atque ecclesiis eorum sic mitto tibi pignus, ut ego de isto die in antea bene tibi teneam et attendam ipsam finem et pacem quam tibi iuravi. Et ego Ermessindis prefata si tenre et atenre a te, Berengarium, comitem supradictum, ipsum sacra­mentum, quomodo scriptum est ipsum sacramentum, et exinde no te n forsfate. Et si ego exinde tibi forasfecero, infra ipsos primos quadraginta dies que tu me n convenras per nomen sacramentum, si t o dreçare o t o emendare, si tu hoc recipere volueris. Et si ego infra primos quadra­ginta dies suprascriptos ipsam forsfacturam aut forsfacturas no la t dreçava, o no la t emendava, incurrant supradictos omnes castros cum omnibus terminis, finibus et adiacenciis et pertinenciis et alaudibus atque ecclesiis eorum et cum omnibus vocibus comitalibus, quas comes ibi abet, reddeba in tua potestate a propio, ut facias exinde quodcumque volueris. Et si ego Ermessindis comitissa de ipsas forsfacturas comunire me vedava, incurrant istas pignoras in potestate de Berengario, filio meo. Et ego Er­messindis, in tali, videlicet, racione mitto istas pignoras suprascriptas ut, si ipsas pignoras, quas Berengarius, filius meus, mihi misit de ista omnia suprascripta, priores incurrerint in mea potestate, ipsas meas pignoras absolutas sint ab omni vinculo, ut ego faciam ex illas quodcumque voluero. Bernardus+. Petrus, episcopus+.  +Acta pacta vel conveniencia v idus octuber anno xxvii regnante Rodberto, rege. +Ermessindis, gracia Dei comitissa, qui hanc pignoracionem feci et firmare rogavi. Sig+num Gondebaldus. Sig+num Miro de Fabricata. Sig+num Gauzfredus Ber­nardus. Sig+num Ermengaudus Bernardus. Sig+num Guilelmus de Montagnola. Vigfredus, levita, qui hanc scripsit et die et anno quo supra.

Historical context:

Document by which countess Ermessenda pledged several castra/castles to her son Berenguer.  A castrum is an administrative unit, which includes a fortification/castle at its center.  This pledge was granted by Ermessenda to end her 1020-22 conflict with her son.   

Printed source:

LFM 1.232-33, #223.  

Date: