A letter from Raymond of Pallars

Translated letter:

In the name of the Lord.  I Raymond, count of Pallars, am the seller to you, Arnau Mir and your wife Arsenda.  I want to bring to the notice of all, present as well as future, that by this document of my sale, I sell you the castrum and town of Limingana, with its boundaries and appurtenances, and the castrum of Muro, similarly with its boundaries and appurtenances, and the castrum of Orcal, similarly with all its boundaries and appurtenances, and the castrum of Basturz, with all its boundaries and appurtenances, as was said  of others high as well as low (peaks and plains), uncultivated as well as worked, with all the greater and lesser domains and all the documents for buildings and with woods and barren lands and all trees and meadows and pastures as well as all vineyards.  All these are within the county of Pallars in various places, as is known by inhabitants and seen manifestly by observors.  All these came to me by succession from my parents and by all rights.  The castrum, also, of Limingana and of Muro, since they are paired and joined together, have this abutment:  on the east in the boundary of Tolo, in the south on the boundary of Rubios and of Ager, in the west on the hill of Sarga, and thence it crosses to the boundary of Castello Novo and of Eroles, on the north in the boundaries of Talarn and of Castro Gallinari and Concas.  And the two other castra named above of Orcal and Basturz, since they are both side by side and joined, have this abutment:  on the east in the boundary of Abelia and of Concas, on the south, again, in the boundary of Limingana and of Gallinari, on the west in the boundaries of Eramont and on the north in the boundary of Peconada and of Rocha Espana.  As was named above and fixed and included by aforementioned abutments, we sell to you as your own for the price of 12 thousand solidos that are worth two hundred 42 ounces of the best gold, which I received from you and nothing remains [to be paid] and that is manifest.  But yet I make this sale on such condition that if I, said count, should die and your daughter Valencia, whom I now take as wife, should live after me, if she had a son or daughter from me, that Valencia would have the said castles with their appurtenances as her own allod and would hold all my other honors with the son or daughter she had from me; and if she did not have a son or daughter from me, said Valencia would have and hold the abovementioned castles and honors.  And if Sunyer, my brother, within six months after my death should give you or your daughter Valencia all the possessions which you now give me and will give in the future for your said daughter, all those named above should come into her power and be of her right, except the castrum of Muro with its boundaries and appurtenances and except the castrum of Orrid with its boundaries and all its appurtenances.  And that Valencia afterwards would have and possess solid and free as her own allod the aforementioned of Muro with its appurtenances and boundaries, and the castrum of Orrid with its boundaries and all its appurtenances; and she may do whatever she wishes with it.  And from the day of this marriage after one year, I will legally make the charter of donation of all the said things to said Valencia; and after  I shall have signed it before witnesses and have legally confirmed it and given into her hands in your presence this document which I now make for you, you give me, and beyond it you would have no permission to hold or have it.  And so of my right, according to the reason given above, I give all this into your rule and your power.  And any who wished to break this, would be compelled to pay the whole to you doubly, and henceforth the document of this donation/bestowal would remain firm for all time.  Which was done on the 4th nones of September in the 25th year of king Henry.  Sign+ of Raymond Mir of Orcal.  Sign+ of Mir of Muro.  Sign+ of Bertrand Ato of Montangana.  Sign+ of Raymond Erimann.  Sign+ of Rodegar Hubert.  Sign+ of Fulc William. Sign+ of Bernard Trasvar. Sign+ of Arnal Compagni. Sign+ of Bertrand Borrell. Sign+ of Mir Isarn. Sign+ of Sanlan Imble. William, priest and judge.  Vitalis, priest, wrote it as asked in said day and year.

Original letter:

In nomine Domini. Ego Raimundus, comes Paliarensis, venditor sum tibi, Arnallo Mironis, et uxori tue Arsindi. Volo deducere ad noticiam cunctorum, tam presencium quam futurorum, quia per hanc mee vendicionis scripturam vendo vobis castrum et villam de Limingana, cum suis terminis et pertinenciis, et castrum de Muro, similiter cum suis terminis et pertinenciis, et castrum de Orcallo, simili modo cum omnibus suis terminis et pertinenciis, et castrum de Basturz, sicut dictum est ex aliis cum omnibus suis terminis et pertinenciis, tam pronum quam planum, et tam eremum quam laboratum, cum omnibus dominibus maioribus et minoribus et cum edificiorum instrumentis omnibus et cum silvis et garricis et arboribus universis et pratis et pascuariis simul cum omnibus  vineis. Sunt, autem, hec omnia intra comitatum Paliarensem in suis quoque locis, sicut scitur ab incolis et manifeste videtur ab intuentibus. Advenerunt, autem, mihi hec omnia per successionem parentorum meorum sive et per omnes voces. Castrum quoque de Limingana et de Muro, quia sibi invicem copulantur et coninguntur, abent affrontacionem: ab oriente in termino de Tolo, de meridie in termino de Rubios et de Ager, de occiduo in collo de Sarga, et inde transit ad terminum de Castello Novo et de Eroles, de circio in terininos de Talarn et de Castro Gallinario sive de Concas. Et alia duo castra iam supranominata de Orcallo et de Basturz, quia ambo collaterantur et sociantur, abent simul affrontacionem: ab oriente in termino de Abelia et de Concas, de meridie, iterum, in termino de Limingana et de Gallinariis, de occiduo in terminos de Eramont, et de circio in termino de Peconada et de Rocha Espana. Sicut superius est nominatum et terminatum et a prelibatis affrontacionibus inclusum, vendimus vobis ad vestrum proprium propter precium XII milia solidorum, qui valent ducentis XLII unciis auri obtimi, quos a vobis accepi et nichil ex inde remansit, et est manifestum. Set tamen sub tali conveniencia facio hanc vendicionem, ut, si ego predictus comes obiero et filia vestra Valencia, quam nunc in uxorem accipio, post me viva remanserit, si abuerit filium aut filiam ex me, habeat ipsa Valenza predictos castellos cum suis pertinenciis ad suum proprium alodium, et omnem alium meum honorem abeat cum filio aut filia quem aut quam ex me abuerit; et si non habuerit filium aut filiam ex me, abeat et teneat iam dicta Valencia supradictos castellos et supradictos honores. Et si Suniarius, frater meus, intra sex menses post meum obitum reddiderit vobis aut filie vestre Valencie totum illud avere quod mihi nunc datis et in antea per supradictam filiam vestram dederitis, deveniant hec omnia supranominata in potentate eius et sint sui iuris, excepto castro de Muro cum suis terminis et pertinenciis et excepto castro de Orrid cum suis terminis et pertinenciis omnibus. Et ipsa Valencia postea abeat et possideat solidum et liberum ad suum proprium alodium prelibatum castrum de Muro cum suis pertinenciis et terminis, et castrum de Orrid cum suis terminis et pertinenciis cunctis; et faciat inde quicquid voluerit facere. Et a die huius coniugii post revolucionem anni, legaliter ego faciam donacionis cartam ex supradictis omnibus rebus ad predictam Valenciam ; et postquam coram testibus eam firmavero et lega­liter corroboravero et in manibus illius vobis presentibus eam tradidero, hanc scripturam, quam modo vobis facio, mihi reddite, et ulterius non abeatis eam licenciam tenere nec abere. Et sic de meo iure, secundum racionem superius comprehensam, trado hoc totum in vestrum dominium et in vestram potestatem. Et qui vobis hoc voluerit disrumpere, in duplo vobis hoc totum cogatur persolvere, et in antea hec largicionis scriptura firma permaneat omni tempore. Que est facta IIII nonas septembris xxv anno Enrici regis. Sig+num Raimundi, comitis supradicti, qui hanc cartam scribere iussi et firmavi et testibus firmare rogavi. Sig+num Remundi Mironis de Orcallo. Sig+num Mironis de Muro. Sig+num Bertrandi Atonis de Montangana. Sig+num Remundi Erimann. Sig+num Rodegarii Hugberti. Sig+num Fulconis Guilielmi. Sig+cum Bernardi Trasvarii. Sig+num Arnalli Compagni. Sig+num Bertrandi Borrelli. Sig+num Mironis Isarnni. Sig+num Sanlarii Imble. Guilelmus, sacerdos et iudex. Vitalis, sacerdos, rogatus scripsit et in iam dicto die et anno.

Historical context:

This charter records the sale of various castra which to Arnau and Arsenda, which will go to their daughter, Valencia, whom he is about to marry, if he should predecease her, and ultimately to their children.   A castrum is an administrative district including a castle with a fortification.

Printed source:

Liber Feudorum Maior, 1.125-26, #125.  

Date: