A letter to the Abbot of Fontfroide

Translated letter:

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I Ermengard, viscountess of Narbonne, give to God and St. Mary and abbot Vitalis, and his successors serving God in the present and future, the place of Fontfroide with all its appurtenances, cultivated and uncultivated, entries and exits, forests, pastures, and waters, for the salvation of my soul and of my father and of all my relatives.  The boundaries of this said place are from Altano on the road of Jonquières, which goes out to the hill of Fraissinet (Fraxinelli); from the hill of Fraissnet, as crosses are placed there, to the new merchant road that goes to Roussillon, which road I ordered built:  from the new road up to Estagnol, from Estagnol is the road that goes to mount Gross, from mount Gross is the road that comes to the horn of the meadow of Castres, which is called St. Martin, on the north from the meadow of said town is the road that goes to Comba-torta, from Comba-torta the road that rises to the hill of Canta-lupis, as the water winds at Fontfroide:  from Canta-lupis the road that goes to Penne, from Penne the road that goes back to the road of Jonquières:  all that is within those named boundaries, I, said Ermengard, give, grant, and approve as free allod to God and St. Mary of Fontfroide and the inhabitants of that monastery present and future, for the salvation of my soul and remission of my sins and those of all my relatives, that they may hold it as a whole by perpetual right for eternity.  The charter of this donation was made on the 12th kalends of April in the year of the Lord 1157, in the reign of king Louis.  Sign of me, Ermengard, viscountess of Narbonne, who ordered this charter to be written, approved, signed, and asked it to be signed.  Sign of lord Berengar archbishop of the country of Narbonne.  Sign of Ermengaud of Leucate.  Sign of Raymond of Castres.  Sign of Ramond of Salles.  Sign of Raymond of Bidano.  Sign of Berengar of Narbonne.  Sign of Bermond of Sigean.  William wrote this as asked, on the day and year above.

Original letter:

In nomine Domini Jesu Christi, ego Ermengardis vicecomitissa Narbonensis dono Deo, & beatae Mariae, & Vitali abbati, & successoribus ejus praesentibus & futuris Deo servientibus locum Fontis-frigidi cum omnibus pertinentibus suis, cultis & incultis, ingressibus, regressibus, nemoribus, pascuis, & aquis, pro salute animae meae, & patris mei, & omnium parentum meorum.  Termini hujus praedicti loci sunt de Altano in via de Jonqueriis, quae exit usque ad collum Fraxinelli; a collo autem Fraxinelli, sicut cruces ibi positae sunt, usque ad viam novam Mercadeiram, quae vadit ad Rossellionem, quam viam ego jussi facere:  de via vero nova usque ad Estagnollos, de Estagnollis est via, quae vadit ad montem Grossum, de monte Grosso est via, quae venit usque ad cornu prati de Castro, quod dicitur S. Martini, ex parte Aquilonis, de prato jam dicti castri est via, quae vadit ad Combam-tortam, de Comba-torta est via, quae ascendit usque ad collum de Canta-lupis, sicut aqua versat apud Fontem-frigidum:  de Canta-lupis est via, quae vadit ad Pennas, de Pennis vero est via, quae regreditur ad viam de Jonqueriis:  totum quantum est infra illos terminos supra scriptos, ego Ermengardis jam dicta dono, concedo & laudo per alodem francum Deo & B. Mariae Fontis-frigidi, & habitatoribus illius cenobii praesentibus & futuris, pro salute animae meae, & remissione peccatorum meorum, & omnium parentum meorum, ut habeant integriter jure perpetuo in sempiternum.  Facta fuit haec charta hujus donationis XII cal. Aprilis anno Domini MCLVII, regnante Ludovico rege. Signum mei Ermengardis vicecomitissae Narbonae, quae hanc chartam scribere jussi, laudavi, firmavi, fimarique rogavi.  Signum domni Berengarii archiepiscopi patriae Narbonensis.  Signum Ermengaudi de Leocata.  S. Raimuindi de Castriis. Signum Raimundi de Salis. Signum Raimundi de Bidano. Signum Berengarii de Narbona. Signum Bermundi de Sejano. Guillelmus rogatus scripsit die & anno, quo supra.

Historical context:

The viscountess donates a piece of land to the abbey of Fontfroide, with a detailed description of the boundaries.

Printed source:

Gallia Christiana in provincias ecclesiastica distributa (Lutetiae Parisiorum:  Johannes-Baptista Ciognard, 1715-1874), v.6, Instrumenta, c.43, #XLIX, 49.

Date: