A letter to and from Artall Petri and Bernard Petri

Translated letter:

This is the agreement made between lord Raymond Berenguer, count of Barcelona, and Dulcia, countess and the brothers Artall Petri and Bernard Petri, over the castrum which they call Papiol and the honor of that castrum.  First, the aforenamed count and countess commend to the aforenamed brothers the said castrum that they have and hold it in their service and help them hold and defend said castrum and honor against all men or women who would want to take said castrum and honor or diminish it or wage war or take anything from said honor.  Indeed said count and countess retain authority over said castrum as often as they ask them for that authority by themselves or by a messenger and they will not refuse to be seen or summoned.  And that count and countess retain in said honor and boundary of that castrum a fourth part of every rent and service or revenues of justice which will come or ought to come out of said boundary and honor; and the three that remain they concede to them as fief.  And the count and contess retain in their dominion in said castrum that tower with the portico which is in front of the tower, which is towards Lubricato, so that the count and countess can make a dwelling under that cliff.  Moreover, the aforenamed brothers agree to said count and countess that they are their vassals and solid [liege] men and faithful for said castrum which aforementioned count and countess commit to them in the honor of that castrum which they give them in fief, against all men or women as said above, in right faith, without trickery.  Also, said brothers agree to said count and countess that they are their faithful men in life and body and their members, also in their honor which they have today in whatever lands or will, God aiding, acquire in the future, that they will aid said count and countess to hold, defend, wage war, except on Jordan, their lord, and Raymond Mir.  And against them the brothers agree that one of them should be the vassal and solid man of said count and countess, of them as of their successors who will hold Barcelona.  And for what said count and countess retain in said castrum and honor the aforementioned brothers agree that they are their faithful/liege without any trickery and ill will, as much for said castrum and the honor of that castrum, as for any other honor of theirs wherever it be.  Sign+ of Raymond count. Sign+ of Dulcia, countess.  Enacted this 15th kalends of February in the 7th year of the reign of king Louis.  Sign+ of Berengar William.  Sign+ of Berengar Raymond of Freixe.  Sign+ of Arnall Petri. Sign+ of Bernard Petri.  Sign+ of Berengar, seneschal.  Sign+ of Carbonel.  Sign+ of Salomon, chaplain and judge.  Raymond Ollegar, deacon, who wrote this, with letters in line 9, on the day and year above. 

Original letter:

Hec est conveniencia facta inter domnum Raimundi Berengarii, Barchinonensem comitem, ac Dulciam, comitissam, atque Artallum Petri et Bernardum Petri, fratres, de castro quod vocant Papiol et honore ipsius castri. Primum, comendant prenominatus comes et comitissa prephatis fratribus iam dictum castrum ut habeant et teneant illud in illorum servitio et adiuvent illos predictum castrum et honorem tenere et defendere contra cunctos homines vel feminas qui voluerint predictum castrum et honorem tollere vel minuere sive guerregare vel aliquid de predicta honore aufferre. Predictus, vero, comes et comitissa retinent potestatem de predicto castro quotienscumque inde requisierint illis potestatem per se aut per illorum nuncium, et non vetent se inde videri aut comoneri. Et retinent ipsi comes et comitissa in predicto honore et termino ipsius castri quartam partem de omni expleto et servicio sive placitos quod exierit vel exire debet de iam dicto termino et honore; et tres que remanent, concedunt illis per fevum.  Et retinent in dominio comes et comitissa in predicto castro ipsam turrem cum porticu quod est ante turrim, que est contra Lubricato, et ut faciant ipsi comes et comitissa mansionem subtus ipsam rocham. Propterea, ipsi prenominati fratres conveniunt pre­dictis comiti et comitisse ut sint illorum dominici et solidi atque fideles propter predictum castrum, quod prelibatus comes et comitissa comen­dant illis in honorem ipsius castri quod donant illis ad fevum, contra cunctos homines vel feminas, sicut superius resonat, per fidem rectam, sine enganno. Iterum, conveniunt predicti fratres iam dicto comiti et comitisse ut sint illorum fideles de vita et corpore et illorum membris, necnon et illorum honore quem hodie ubique terrarum abent vel in antea, adiuvante Deo, adquisierint, ut adiuvent sep(p)e fato comiti et comitisse tenere, defendere, guerregare, exceptus Iordano, illorum seniore, et Raimundo Mironis. Et contra istos conveniunt ipsi fratres ut unus illorum sit dominicus et solidus prefati comitis et comitisse tam illorum quam sucessorum eorum qui Barchinonam tenuerint.  Et de hoc quod prephatus comes et comitissa retinent in predicto castro et honore conveniunt illis pretitulati fratres ut sint illorum fideles sine omni enganno et malo ingenio, tam de prefixo castro et honore ipsius castri, quam de alio illorum honore ubicumque sit. Signum+ Raimundi, comes. Sig+num Dulcia, comitissa. Actum est hoc xv kalendas februarii anno vii regni Leovici regis. Sig+num Berengarii Guilielmi. Sig+num Berengarii Raimundi de Frexano. Sig+num Arnalli Petri. Sig+num Bernardi Petri. Sig+num Berengarii, senescalc. Sig+num Carbonel. Signum Salomonis, capellanus et iudex.  Raimundus Ollegarii, levita, qui hoc scripsit, cum litteris in linea viiii, die et anno quo supra.

Historical context:

An agreement between the count and countess and the brothers Arnall Petri and Bernard, over the castrum of Papiol. A castrum is an administrative unit with a fortification/castle at the center.

Printed source:

Liber Feudorum Maior  1.375-76, #349.  

Date: