A letter from Ermessenda

Translated letter:

Since noone of obligated status, placed in the flesh, can avoid death.  Therefore, in the name of God, I Ermessenda, countess by the grace of God, desire to proceed in the service of God and of St. James, his apostle, and other apostles Peter and Paul, and I fear that the chance of sudden death might steal me away.  For that reason I choose as executors my friends lord Raymond Berengar, count, my grandson, and William, bishop of the holy see of Osona, and Udalgar, my liege, and Umbert Oto and Amato Eldric and John, cleric of St. Mary, that they be my almoners and have the power of distributing all my possessions as I shall enjoin below to the holy churches of God, to priests and clerics and paupers and other men, if death should come to me before I make another will.  First, I leave to lord God and the canonry of St. Mary of the see of Girona 30 ounces of gold of “just”* mancusos** from which the house may be roofed, which should be a dormitory, which I built and it [the roof] was blown off.  And I leave to the priests of St. Mary of said see a hundred mancusos, and similarly I leave to other canons of said see a hundred mancusos, and to canons of St. Felix, the martyr of Girona, I leave 75 mancusos to priests for masses and 25 to other canons.  And I leave to the monastery of St. Peter of the Gallican monastery 70 mancusos; from these 70, let 30 be for vestments of the monks and 40 for their food; I ask and entreat that they pray God for me.  And similarly to the convent of St. Mary Amer.  And similarly to the convent of St. Felix of Guixols, and let them make a silver altar-table with the silver that I gave them.  And I leave 30 mancusos to the monastery of St. Michael of Cruilles.   And similarly to the monastery of Cerviano.  And similarly to the monastery of St. Michael of Fluvia.  And similarly to the monastery of St. Stephen of Bagnols.  And similarly to the monastery of St. Peter of Besalú. And similarly to the monastery of St. Lawrence of the Mountain.  And similarly to the monastery of the Holy Saviour of Breda.  And similarly to the monastery of St. Paul of Maritima.  And to the canonry of St. Eulalia and the Holy Cross, in the see of Barcelona, I leave one hundred mancusos, and I ask and entreat that they pray God for me.  And to the monastery of St. Peter of the Maidens I leave fifty mancusos.  And to the monastery of St. Cucuphatis, martyr, similarly.  And similarly to the monastery of St. Lawrence.  And to the monastery of St. Cecilia of Montserrat 25 mancusos.  And similarly to the monastery of St. Michael of Fai.  And similarly to the monastery of St. Benedict of Bages.  And similarly to the monastery of St. Sebastian of Penedes.  And to the canonry of St. Peter of Vic a hundred mancusos of gold, and I pray and entreat that they beg God for me.  And to the monastery of St. Peter of Casserres 30 mancusos.  And to the monastery of St. Mary of Ripoll I leave fifty mancusos.  And similarly to the monastery of St. Michael of Cuxa.  And similarly to the monastery of St. Peter of Rodes.  And of St. Mary of Armen-Roda 20 mancusos.  And to the monastery of St. Quirch of Colera 20 mancusos.  And to the monastery of St. Mary of Arles 20 mancusos.  And to the monastery of St. Peter of Camprodon 20 mancusos.  And to the see of St. Eulalia of Roussillon I leave a hundred fifty mancusos for their works and fifty to the canons.  And to the canons of the see of Saints Justin and Pastor, I leave fifty mancusos.  And similarly to the canons of St. Paul.  And to the monastery of the Holy Saviour of Aniana I leave a hundred mancusos, and I pray and entreat the lord abbot and his monks to beg God for me.  And similarly to the monastery of St. Mary of Crassa.  And to the canons of St. Peter of Magalona I leave a hundred mancusos.  And to the canons of St. Anthony of Fredelesc I leave 30 mancusos.  And to the canons of St. Saturnine of Toulouse, similarly.  And to the canons of St. Peter of Rome I leave a hundred mancusos, and to their glass windows 200 mancusos.   And to the Apostolic house a hundred mancusos for the absolution of my soul.  And to St. Michael of Monte Gargano I leave 30 mancusos.  And similarly to the monastery of St. Giles.  And similarly to the monastery of St. William.  To lord Berenguer, bishop of Girona, I leave 70 mancusos for the absolution of my soul.  To lord Guilabert, bishop of Barcelona, I leave similarly 70 mancusos.  To lord  William, bishop of Osona, I leave 70 mancusos.  To lord Arnall, bishop of Magalona, I leave 70 mancusos.  And to lord William, bishop, my almoner, I leave fifty mancusos.  And similarly to Udalgar.  And similarly to Amato.  And similarly to Umbert.  And similarly to John.  Arnall, bishop of Elna, I leave fifty mancusos for the absolution of my soul.  Similarly to Berenguer Gaucefred, I leave fifty mancusos.  To the devout Gerberga similarly.  To the devout Adaleide, similarly.  To Another Adaleide, my servant, 30 mancusos.  To the canons of St. Mary of the see of Urgell, I leave fifty mancusos.  And to lord William, bishop of Urgell, similarly fifty mancusos.  And those fifty ounces which Amato Eldric owes me and Udalgar lent [him] and received a pledge letter in my stead by his name, I leave those to said Udalgar to give for his soul and mine, however seems best to him.  And to the monastery of St. Daniel I leave 20 ounces of gold which Pons, viscount, owes me and [for which] I have his alod of Petriniano in pledge; and if he should not give them to said monastery of St. Daniel and its abbess within 30 days of my death, let the lawful alod of Petriniano, which I have in pledge, be the free property of the monastery of St. Daniel.  And to the Holy Sepulchre which is in Jerusalem, I leave a hundred mancusos.  All my other things that remain, I ask and pray and you have them given for God and the remedy of my soul to paupers, to widows, to orphans and priests and clerics for masses.  Again I ask you and I pray lord Raymond, count, my grandson, together with lady Almodis, countess, your wife, by God and St. Mary his mother and by St. Peter the Apostle and by all the saints, and I admonish that you have great care for my soul and  that you carry out this thing and alms to perfection and have it carried out, so that God knows that I loved and cherished you more than any other of your people, and in this you can acknowledge what I did for you.   Let this testament be in force until I make another.  This testament was made on the 7th kalends of October in the 27th year of the reign of king Henry.  Sign+ of Ermessenda, countess, I who ordered this testament to be made, made it, signed it, and asked witnesses to sign.  Sign+ of William Pons.  Sign+ of William Berenguer.  Sign+ of Raymond Caucefred (sic).  Sign+ of Gaucefred Pons.  Sign+ of Raymond Arnust. +John deacon. Berenguer deacon. +Sunyer monk and priest who wrote this testament with letters placed above on the day and year above.

Original letter:

Quam debite condicionis nullus in carne positus mortem evadere potest. Quapropter, in Dei nomine, ego Ermessindis, gracia Dei comitissa, cupio pergere in servicium Dei et Sancti Iacobi, eius Apostoli, vel aliorum apostolorum Petri et Pauli et timeo ne repentine mortis subripiat me casus. Ideoque eligo manumissores amicos meos domnum Raimundum Berengarii, comitem, nepotem meum, et Guillermum, sancte sedis Ausonensis episcopum, et Udalgarium, fidelem meum, et Umbertum Otonem et Amatum Eldrici et Ioannem, Sancte Marie clericum, ut sint mei elemosinarii et habeant potestatem distribuendi omnes facultates meas sicut subterius iniuncxero in sanctis Dei ecclesiis, in sacerdotibus et clericis ac pauperibus vel aliis hominibus, si mors michi advenerit antequam alium testamentum faciam. In primis, dimitto domino Deo et canonice Sancte Marie sedis Gerunde xxx uncias auri de mancusos adalis, ex quibus sit cooperta domus, que debet esse dormitorium, quam ego feci, et sit edificata avulsura. Et dimitto presbiteris Sancte Marie predicte sedis mancusos centum, et aliis canonicis predicte sedis dimitto similiter man­cusos centum, et canonicis Sancti Felicis, martiris Gerunde, dimitto man­cusos lxxv ad presbyteros per missas et xxv ad alios canonicos. Et cenobio Sancti Petri cenobii Gallican<t>ii dimitto lxx mancusos; ex istis lxx, sint xxx ad vestimenta monachorum et xxxx ad victum eorum; supplico et rogo ut orent Deum pro me. Et ad cenobio Sancte Marie Ameriencis, similiter. Et cenobio Sancti Feli[cis] Gissalis similiter, et faciant fieri tabulam argenteam cum ipso argento quod eis dedi. Et cenobio Sancti Michaelis de Crudilias dimitto mancusos xxx. Et cenobio Sancte Maria de Cerviano, similiter. Et cenobio Sancti Michelis de Fluvia, similiter. Et cenobio Sancti Stephani de Balneolis, similiter. Et cenobio Sancti Petri de Besulluno, similiter. Et cenobio Sancti Laurencii de Monte, si­militer. Et cenobio Sancti Salvatoris de Breda, similiter. Et cenobio Sancti Pauli de Maritima, similiter. Et canonice Sancte Eulalie et Sancte Crucis, Barchinonensis sedis, dimitto mancusos centum, et rogo et sup­plico ut rogent Deum pro me. Et cenobio Sancti Petri Puellarum dimitto mancusos quinquaginta.  Et cenobio Sancti Cucuphatis, martiris, similiter. Et cenobio Sancti Laurencii, similiter. Et cenobio Sancta Ce­cilia de Monteserrato xxv mancusos. Et cenobio Sancti Michaelis de Faio, similiter. Et cenobio Sancti Benedicti de Baies, similiter. Et ce­nobio Sancti Sebastiani de Penedes, similiter. Et canonice Sancti Petri de Vico centum mancusos de auro, et precor et supplico ut rogent Deum pro me. Et cenobio Sancti Petri de Castserras mancusos xxx. Et ce­nobio Sancte Marie Rivipollensis dimitto mancusos quinquaginta. Et cenobio Sancti Michaelis de Cuxano, similiter. Et cenobio Sancti Petri de Rodas, similiter. Et Sancte Marie de Armenrodas xx mancusos. Et cenobio Sancti Cirici de Colera mancusos xx. Et cenobio Sancte Marie de Arias mancusos xx. Et cenobio Sancti Petri de Campo Rotundo mancusos xx. Et ad sedem Sancte Eulalie de Russilione di­mitto mancusos centum quinquaginta ad ipsa opera et quinquaginta ad ipsos canonicos. Et canonicis sedis Sancti Iusti et Pastoris dimitto man­cusos quinquaginta. Et canonicis Sancti Pauli, similiter. Et cenobio Sancti Salvatoris de Aniana dimitto mancusos centum, et precor et sup­plico domnum abbatem et eiusdem monacos ut rogent Deum pro me. Et cenobio Sancte Marie Crasse, similiter. Et [ad] canonicos Sancti Petri de Magalona dimitto mancusos centum. Et ad canonicos Sancti Antonii de Fredelesc dimitto mancusos xxx. Et [ad] canonicos Sancti Saturnini de Tholosa, similiter. Et ad canonicos Sancti Petri Rome dimitto mancu­sos centum, et ad ipsas Fenestras Vitreas mancusos cc. Et [ad] domnum Apostolicum mancusos centum pro absolucione anime mee. Et ad Sancti Michaelis de Monte Gargano dimitto mancusos xxx. Et ad cenobio Sancti Egidii, similiter. Et cenobio Sancti Guillermi, similiter. Domno Berengario, Gerundensi(s) episcopo, dimitto mancusos lxx pro absolucione anime mee. Domno Guilaberto, Barchinonensi episcopo, dimitto simi­liter lxx mancusos. Domno Guilermo, Ausonensi episcopo, dimitto man­cusos lxx. Domno Arnallo, Magalonensi episcopo, dimitto mancu­sos lxx. Et domno Guillermo episcopo, meo elemosinario, dimitto quin­quaginta mancusos. Et Udalgario, similiter. Et Amato, similiter. Et Umberto, similiter. Et Ioannisi (sic), similiter. Arnallo, Elenensis epis­copo, dimitto mancusos quinquaginta pro absolucione anime mee. Beren­gario Gaucefredi, similiter dimitto quinquaginta mancusos. A Gerberga devota, similiter. Azaleiz devota, similiter. Alia Azaleiz, famula mea, xxx mancusos. Ad canonicos, Urgellensis sedis Sancte Marie, dimitto quinquaginta mancusos. Et domno Guillermo, Urgellensis episcopo, si­militer quinquaginta mancusos. Et ipsas quinquaginta uncias, quas Amatus Eldrici mihi debet, et Udalgarius <ei> accomodavit et recepit cartam pro pignore mea vice et suo nomine, dimitto eas Udalgario predicto, ut donet illas pro sua anima et mea, quemadmodum melius viderit. Et cenobio Sancti Danielis dimitto xx uncias auri, quas Poncius, vicecomes, mihi debet et habeo pro pignore suum alodium de Petriniano; et si non eas dederit predicto cenobio Sancti Danielis et eius abbatisse infra xxx dies quibus mortua fuero, sit iustum alodium de Petriniano, quod habeo pro pignore, proprium et liberum predicto cenobio Sancti Da­nielis. Et sancto Sepulcro, quod est in Hierusalem, dimitto centum mancusos. Alia mea omnia qui remanent, rogo et precor ut donare faciatis propter Deum et remedium anime mee in pauperibus, in viduis, in orphanis et presbiteris et clericis per missas. Iterum, rogo enim vos, et precor domnum Raimundum, comitem, nepotem meum, simul cum domna Almodis, comitissa, coniuge vestra, per Deum et Sancta Maria, matris eius, et per Sanctum Petrum Apostolum et per omnes Sanctos, et moneo ut magnam curam habeatis de mea anima, et ista causa vel elemosina adducatis ad perfeccionem et adducere faciatis, quia Deus scit quod plus vos dilexi et amavi quam alium de vestra gente, et in hoc potestis cognoscere quod per vos feci. Istud eciam testamentum tamdiu obtineat firmitatem donec alium faciam. Facto isto testamento vii kalendas octobris anno xxvii regni Henrici, regis. Sig+num Ermessindis, comitissa, qui istum testamentum fieri iussi, feci, firmavi et testes firmare rogavi. Sig+num Guillermus Poncius. Sig+num Guillermus Berengarius. Sig+num Raimundus Caucefredus. Sig+num Gaucefredus Poncius. Sig+num Raimundus Arnust. +Ioannes levita. Berengarius levita. +Suniarius, monacus, et presbyter, qui istum testamentum scripsit, cum litteras superpositas, die et anno quo supra.

Historical context:

A documented will of the countess.  Another will was recorded by two witnesses to whom she spoke it from her sickbed which deals with many other details.

Scholarly notes:

* Coins of the right weight and alloy are “just”.

** Arabic gold dinars, see Jonathan Jarrett, ” Currency Change in Pre-millennial Catalonia: Coinage, Counts and Economics,” Numismatic Chronicle 169 (2010 for 2009), pp. 217-243, 225.

Printed source:

LFM 1.520-22, #490.  

Date: