A letter from Arsenda

Translated letter:

The origin of death, derived from the envy of the imperfect one (semite), comes to the whole mass of humankind with those subject to it, since it is written “the envy of the devil brought death into the orb of lands” and since it is given to the species, it is no wonder if it is attributed to a part.  Therefore I, Arsenda, burdened by the weight of sins, fearing the coming of death near, in sound mind and healthy body, consider all my possessions especially and how they be distributed after my death, with me present and dictating, I have had written in this page and if I should die in whatever way before I make another will/ testament, I choose these executors whom I name as almoners:  my husband and lord, lord Arnau, and William, judge and sacristan, and Bernard Transvar, and Bertrand Borrell, and Gaucerand Erimann, and Dalmau Bernard, and Ermessend, my sister;  whom I order and by the faith that I have in them admonish and as much as I can beseech that, as I will have ordered in this testament below, and signed, pierced/pointed at the end by my own hands as I am accustomed, so it will be believed by them without doubt and faithfully distributed to those whom (singular and plural) I shall have commanded.

At the beginning of the distribution of my things, I take from all my moveables at the order of my said lord half of what I and he have:

My head ornament/diadem which is gold, I order to be sold and the price given to the sepulchre of my lord Jesus Christ.

And my gold perfumador/senser I leave to St. Peter to hang before the altar with the senser that is made of odors and is in the shape of a quince (codonio).

To St. Faith of Concas should go my Indian mirror with my larger gold fasteners.

And let my silver senser hang before the altar of St. Michael of Montrmagastre.

And to St. Mary of the See of Urgell, I grant one of my cloths, whichever seems better to my said almoners.

To St. Eulalia of Barcelona, I grant my white cloth.

To St. Peter of Vic, I leave one of my cloths.

To the monastery of St. Cugat Valles another.

To St. Sebastian of Penedes another.

To St. Mary of Ripoll another.

To St. Michael of Cuixà another.

And my gold rings with their jewels and gegonciis, that are in them, and gold mudellis may be sold and their price given to my daughters in value.  And let that price be given for my soul, if they wish to buy them.

And from my portion which came to me in silver vessels, and saddles and bridles of silver, or swords and hauberks, I order divided into three parts; one of them given in ornaments for the church of St. Saturnine of Lordano, another to St. Mary of Artesa, and the third to St. Martin of Tost; and let this be a help in their tables or ornaments, whatever will be most necessary to said churches.

To St. Michael of Montmagastre I grant from my portion two cloaks of ciclaton, and one of oztori [1] with one cover-cloth.

To St. Saturnine of Lordano, one cloak of ciclaton and another of  oued [cloth perhaps from Algeria].

To St. Mary of Artesa, a cloak of oued.

To St. Romano of Comezol, one cloak of brocade (tirenz).

To St. Stephen of Guardia another.

To St. Marguerite of Banavente similarly.

To St. Peter of Vallis Fraose similarly.

To St. Saturnine of Bisaura similarly.

To St. Saturnine of Castello Tort another cloak of brocade (tireyz) with a covering of silk.

To St. Andrew of Bescaràn one brocade (tireez) cloak.

To St. Vincent of Tolo another.

To St. Felix of Alos another.

To St. Saturnine of Gavarra similarly.

To the church of St. James of Castelli another.

I also order that, except for what is written above, what remains of my possessions that should be given for my soul, let the four monasteries have, those which are in the county of Urgell, namely the monastery of St. Andrew the apostle, and St. Saturnine, and St. Lawrence, and St. Cecilia, according to the judgment of my said lord for the remedy of my soul.

And works worth 100 denars to St. Christopher for the soul of my son Arnau.

And to my sister Ermessenda I leave my Marrakesh (remliam) cloak and one bed with everything that pertains to the bed and 4 ounces of gold.

And to my other sister Chixol/Quixol, I leave 5 ounces which she owes me and two head veils with four ounces of gold, and let my husband give back to her that charter which she and her daughter Nevia made to us about their allod of Escos.

And to Mir William, cleric of Barcelona, I leave one bed with decorative cover  (almocelia) and felt and feathers and a bedcover of fox for my soul.

And to my daughter Valencia, I grant my greater ermine fur with a cloth of oztori and with my smaller fasteners of gold.

I pray the mercy of God and favor of my said lord that, if I cannot carry on in my life, he for the remedy of his soul and mine and of our son William, will make/build  lodgings for the rest and restoration of pilgrims and whover needs it for the love of almighty God; and let him make one of them in the town of Aier in our allod, and another in Montmagastre, and a third in the town of Artesa, and fourth in the town of Lordano, and fifth in the town of Tost, in those places where it seems best to live, and let him send there cloths for resting, and give all of our moveables so that the poor may always find some consolation of food and drink there.

Let our boards and chess pieces go according to the command of my lord. [2]

Let my named almoners/executors sell my pelisse/hide of alfanech [alfanegue, alfanex, a valuable fur, possibly rabbit] covered with Frisian cloth, with a cloak of oztori made with a fringe, and from the price let the aforesaid tables be continued.

And what will remain of my moveables, I order to be given to churches, to priests, to the poor, to prisoners, and to construct bridges over waters or [repair] bad entries on the holy journeys and for the lighting of holy churches and to what my husband holds in his opinion best for my soul.

And let all my wool and linen garments be divided among the  women of my chamber and of all our castris and lands.

What my lord designates for the lord God and saints in his will, all that I give and maintain according to his will for his soul and mine and that of our son William.

Moreover I ask that my lord hand over our allod of Seyxo on the day of my death to the canonry of St. Michael of Montmagastre, in the see of St. Mary of Urgell, and to St. Peter of Ager and St. Michael of Montmagastre, and to St. Saturnine of Lordano and St. Martin of Tost, and St. Mary of Artes and other churches and monasteries.

What my aforesaid lord shall have given or designated in his will, which he has now done or will have done in the future up to the point of his death, I, said Arsenda, give and maintain all my rights which I have in what he will have given or designated, to the sees and monasteries and saints according to the will of my said husband.

And in that castrum of Marcoval those rights which I have there and ought to have I give and confirm to St. Michael of Montmagastre and to St. Mary of Artesa.  And as yet I wish that, if it is my lord’s favor that my nephew the aforenamed Ramon Bernard have this castrum in service to my lord and the saints to whom I give said castrum, that he have it.

And our other allods, castris or lands together with honors, after the death of my lord, as he has designated and will in the future in his will, to God and the saints and whatever of our daughters and their sons and daughters which they have today or will have in the future, in a similar way I give and leave all these to them with my rights which I have there and ought to have, except what I hand over to the lord God and his saints.--

And the castrum of Artesa with its boundaries and appurtenances after the death of my said lord should go to our daughter Ledgard and to Guerau, her son; and if Guerau should die, to the other male children whom the said Ledgard will have had, and she can in no way sell or alienate it to any other man but her children.  And the count who holds Urgell may always have comital rights in that castrum and what he ought to have there.

And I also ask the favor of my lord for my daughter Ledgard and her children, that my nephew Dalmacio have the named castrum through their hands in fief and the children of Mir Borell through him.  And if Dalmacio should die without issue, let his brother Raymond hold it through the hand of my lord and my aforenamed daughter and through her children in fief.

And to Peter Bernard, my grandson it is my will that if it is my lord’s favor, that he give him allods in Ager and in his boundaries and lands which he holds through the hand of St. Peter of Ager and that he be a canon in that place.

And to Guerau, my grandson, I leave to him after the death of my lord, the castrum of Vallis Fraose with its boundaries.

And my castrum of Montanione of that of Guardia, which my lord gave me in dower, I leave after my lord’s death to my daughter Valencia and to her son Arnau; and if Arnau should die, let it go to her other male children to hold it with her; and through her and her children let Dalmacio always hold it in fief; and if Dalmacio should die without issue, let his brother Berengar hold it in fief in service to my said daughter and her children.

Also I ask my lord’s favor that, if it can be, my nephew Berengar have through him that castrum of Bisaura in fief, and that Arnau Ermemir hold it through him.

I ask and I beseech my lord and husband for God and charity and the love that God sent between husband and wife, that for the [my] soul all that I said above, if death should come to me before I make another will, be carried out as was said.  I also order and admonish my other aforenamed almoners by the faith they owe me and swore to, that they act similarly faithfully with my husband.  As much as is written in this page/document, whatever was written in this will and dictated by me and especially for the saints as well as for human relatives, namely what is left to the successors and rent-payers for God to each separately in every way, let it remain firm until, if it please God, I make another will; and undoubtedly whatever is written in this will should be believed by the auditors, and from the aforenamed executors I ask as much as I can and admonish in the divine name that they be carried out.

This was enacted on the 10th kalends of June in the 8th year of king Philip.

Sign+ of Arsenda, I who ordered this will to be written and after had it read before me, and signed with a point/prick by my own hand, and ordered witnesses to sign.  Sign+ of Arnau Mir de Tost, I confirm this by a point as I am accustomed.  Sign+ of Berengar Atinard. Sign+ of Peter Bernard. Sign+ of Bernard Atinard. Sign+ of Raymond, son of William of Cabodeyz. Sign+ of Bertrand Sunyer. Sign+ of Bernard Luila. Sign+ of Erall Bernard.  Sign+ of Bernard Gauzbert. Sign+ of Valencia, countess. Sign+ of Bernard Trasvari. Sign+ of Berengar Isarn. Sign+ of Gaucerand Erimann. Sign+ of Dalmacius Bernard. Sign+ of Erall Bernard. Sign+ of Roger Hugbert.

[William, chancellor and judge, who on the tenth day after the death of aforesaid lady Arsenda, having legally read and completed this will proclaiming it in the presence of many, signed with the abovenamed executors before lord Arnau and countess Valencia, her daughter.+]

Raymond, cleric, wrote it as asked and + on the day and year that is above with letters superposed where it says:  4 ounces and to Miro Borrell.

Original letter:

Origo mortis ex inuidie semite diriuata, totam uniuersi generis massam cum sibi subditis adiit, quia scriptum est “inuidia diaboli mors introiuit in orbem terrarum” et, cum data sit generi, non est mirum si atribuatur parti.  Ideoque ego, Arsendis, peccatorum fascibus honerata, timens euentum uicine mortis, sana tamen mente et sospes corpore, omnes res meas specialiter considero et qualiter post mortem meam distribuantur, me presente et dictante, in hac pagina scribere facio et, si antequam alium testamentum faciam per quamcumque modum obiero, manumissores eligo quos elemosinarios nomino:  uiro atque seniori meo, domno Arnalo, et Guilielmo, iudice et sacristanum, et Bernardi Transuarii, et Bertrandi Borrelli, et Gaucerandi Erimanni, et Dalmacii Bernardi, et Ermissindam, soror mea; quibus precipio et per eam fiduciam quam in eis abeo amoneo et quantum possum obsecro ut, sicut ego in hoc testamento subterius ordinauero et in calce punctatum sicut soleo manibus propriis firmauero, ita ab illis et indubitanter credatur et cui et quibus iussero fideliter distribuantur.

In exordio namque distribuicionis mearum rerum accipio de meis omnibus mobilibus rebus propter iussionem senioris mei iam dicti medietatem de quod ego et ille abemus:

Ornamentum meum de caput que est de auro precipio uendere et ipsum pretium dare ad sepulcrum domni mei Ihesu Christi.

Et meum pumbo de auro dimito ad sanctum Petrum ut pendat coram eius altare cum ipso pumbo que est confecto de olores et est in similitudine de codonio.

Ad Sanctam Fidem de Concas remaneat meum speculum indium cum asfflibullis meis maioribus de auro.

Et meum pumbo argenteo pendat coram altare Sancti Michaelis de Mamacastro.

Et ad Sancta Maria Sedis Orgelli concedo unum de meis indumentis, qualem melius uiderint mei elemosinarii prefatii.

Ad Sancta Eulalia de Barchinona concedo uestimentum meum de pallio albo.

Ad Sancto Petro de Vico dimito unum de meis uestimentis.

Ad cenobium Sancti Cucufati de Valles alio.

Ad Sanctum Sebastianum de Penedes alio.

Ad Sancte Marie Riuipolensis alio.

Ad Sancto Michahe de Cuxano altera.

Et meos anulos de auro cum eorum iemas et gegonciis, que sunt in eis, et mudellis de auro sint uenum dati per eorum precium ad filias meas in ualente.  Et ipsum precium sit datum pro anima mea, si illas emere uelint.

Et mea porcione que mihi adtingerit in uexella ex argento, et sellas et frenos de argento, siue in spatas atque alspergos precipio ex inde facere tres partes; et una ex eas donetur in ornamenta de ecclesia Sancti Saturnini de Lordano, et altera ad Sancta Maria de Artesa, et terciam pars ad Sancto Martino de Tost; et hoc sit per adiutorium de tabulas aut in ea ornamenta, quam plus necesse erit ad iam dictas ecclesias.

Ad Sanctum Micahelem de Mamacastro concedo de mea porcione de ciclatons capas II, et una de oztori cum tela I de pallio.

Ad Sancto Saturnino de Lordano capa I de ciclaton et alia de oued.

Ad Sancta Maria de Artesa una capa de oued.

Ad Sancto Romano de Comezols capa I de tirenz.

Ad Sancto Stefano de Guardia alia.

Ad Sancta Margarita de Banauente similiter.

Ad Sanctum Petrum de Vallis Fraose similiter.

Ad Sanctum Saturninum de Bisaura similiter.

Ad Sancto Satunino de Castello Tort alia capa de tireyz cum cooperturo de seda.

Ad Sanctum Andrea de Bescarre capa I de tireez.

Ad Sancto Vincencio de Tolo altera.

Ad Sancto Felice de Alos altera.

Ad Sancto Saturnino de Gauarra similiter.

Ad ecclesiam Sancti Iacobi Castelli alia.

Adhuc eciam mando ut, exceptus hoc suprascriptum, de meum auere qui remanet qui pro anima mea debet aessae datum, abeant IIIIor monasteria qui sunt in comitatu Orgellitense, scilicet cenobium Sancti Andraeae apostoli, et Sancti Saturnini, atque Sancti Laurencii, et Sancte Cecilie secundum extimacionem de supradicto seniori meo propter remedium anime maeae [sic].

Et opera Sancto Christofori ualente diners C pro anima filii mei Arnalli.

Et ad soror mea Ermessindam dimito capa mea remliam et unum lectum cum hoc totum qui ad lectum pertinet et uncias IIIIor de auro.

Et a alia mea sorore Chixol dimitto uncias V quas mihi debet et duos uellosos de caput cum IIII uncias auri, et reddat uir meus ad eam ipsam cartam quod illa et filiam eius Neuia nobis fecerunt de illus alodium de Eschoza.

Et ad Mironis Guillelmi, clerus de Barchinona, dimitto ei lectum unum de almocelia et feltro et plumbacio, et superlecto uulpino pro anima mea.

Et ad filia mea Valentia concedo pellicia mea maiore armellina cum tela I de oztorino et cum affliballis meis minores de auro.

Obsecro Domni misericordiam et mercedem senioris mei predicti, ut, si non potuero ego perficere in uita mea, ille uero propter remedium anima eius et mea siue de filio nostro Guilielmo faciat domos ospitalitatis ad requiescendos et reficiendos peregrinos et cuique fuerit necesse pro amorem Dei omnipotentis; et faciat una de eas in uilla de Aier in nostro alodio, et altera in uilla de Mamcastro, et III in uilla de Artesa, et IIII in uilla de Lordano, et V in uilla de Tost, in illis locis ubi melius uideretur ad abitandum, et mitat ibi pannos ad requiescendum, et donet ibi totum de nostrum mobile unde semper inueniant ibi pauperes aliquem consolacionem cibi et potus.

Tabulas nostras et eschachos uadant secundum mandamentum seniori mei.

Meam pelliciam de alfanech cooperta de freso cum capa de oztorino facta cum freso uendant supradicti mei elemosinarii, et de illud precium sint perseueratas predictas tabulas.

Et hoc que remanserit de meum mobilem precipio dare in ecclesiis, in sacerdotibus, in pauperibus, in captiuis, et in pontibus super aquas siue ingredibus malignis construendos in itineribus santis, atque et in luminacione ecclesiarum sanctarum et in hoc quod uir meus melius uiderit in suo arbitrio pro anima mea.

Et omnibus indumentis laneis et lineis diuidantur ad meas feminas de mea camara et de omnibus nostris castris et terris.

Hoc que senior meus dubitat domino Deo et sancti in suo testamento, totum ego hoc dono et conseruo secundum sua uoluntate pro anima eius et mea et filio nostro Gillelmo.

In super autem rogo, ut alodium nostro de Seyxo ad diem obitus mei dimitat eum senior meus ad canonicam Sancti Michaelis de Mamacastro, ad Sancte Marie Orgelli Sedis, siue ad Sancti Petri de Ager atque ad sanctum Michaelem de Mamacastro, siue ad sancti Saturnini de Lordano atque ad Sancti Martini de Tost, et ad Sancte Marie de Artesa atque ad alteras ecclesias et monasteriis.

Hoc que senior meus prefatus donauerit aut dubitauerit in suo testamento, que modo abet factum aut in antea erit facturus usque ad extremum obiti sui, ego, Arsendis predicta, omnes meos directos que abeo in hoc que ille dederit aut dubitauerit, ego dono et conseruo ad sedes et monasteriis et sanctis secundum uoluntate prefatus uir meus.

Et in ipso castro de Marcouallo ipsas meas uoces que ibi abeo et abere debeo dono et confirmo ad sanctum Micahelem de Mamacastro et ad sancta Maria de Artesa.  Et adhuc uolo ut, si est merces seniori meo que abeat isto castro iam dicto Ramon Bernard nepto meo in seruitio senior meus et de sanctis cui dono prefato castro, ut habeat hoc.

Et aliis nostris alodiis, tam castris qua terris simul cum honores, post obitum senior meus sicut ille abet dubitatum et in antea dubitauerit in suum testamentum ad Deum et sanctis et ad quamcumque de filias nostras et ad earum filios et filias quos hodie abent aut in antea abebunt, simili modo eas et eis dono et dimitto omnes meis directis que ibi abeo et abere debeo, exceptus hoc que dimitto domno Deo et eius sanctis.

Et castrum de Artesa cum suis terminis et pertinenciis post obitum senior meus prefatus remaneat ad filiam nostram Ledgardis siue ad Gerallo, filio suo; et, si Gerallus mors aduenerit, ad alios suos filios masculos que abuerit Ledgardis iam dicta, et ullo modo non posseat eum uendere neque alienare ullo alio homini nisi filiis suis.  Et comes qui tenuerit Orgellos semper abeat in isto castro comitiuo et hoc que abere ibi debet.

Et adhuc eciam rogo merces senior meus, de filia mea Ledgardis, siue de filiis suis, que abeat Dalmacius, nepto meo, isto castro iam dicto per illorum manum per feuum et filiis Mironi Borrelli per eum.  Et, si de Dalmacius defuerit sine filios, Raimundus, frater eius, teneat eum per manu seniore meo et filia mea predicta et per filiis suis per feuum.

Et ad Petro Bernardi, nepoto meo, est mea uoluntas ut, si est merces senior meus, que donet ad eum alaudes in Ager et in suis terminis et terras que teneat per manu sancti Petri de Ager et ut sit chanonicho in eundem loco.

Et ad Gerallo, nepto meo, dimito ei post obitum senior meus castrum Vallis Fraose cum suis terminis.

Et castrum meum de Montanione et de ipsa Guardia, quod senior meus mihi dedit in sponsalicio, dimito eum post obitum senioris mei ad filia mea Valentia et ad filio suo Arnallo; et, si de Arnallus defuerit, remaneat ad alios suos filios masculos ut teneant eum cum illa; et per eam et filiis suis semper teneat eum Dalmacius per feuum; et, si defuerit de Dalmacius sine proles, teneat eum fratri suo Berengario per feuum in seruitio predicta filia mea et filiis suis.

Adhuc autem rogo merces senior meus ut, si fieri potest, que abeat nepto meo Berengario per eum ipsum castrum de Bisaura per feuum, et teneat eum Arnall Ermemir per eum.

Rogo autem et obsecro nimis domno et uir meus per Deum et caritatem et per amorem quod Deus misit inter uirum et feminam, ut pro anima totum quod superius dixi, si mors mihi aduenerit antequam alium testamentum faciam, sicut supradictum est adimpleat.  Alteros meos elemosinarios prelibatos iterum precipio et amoneo per fidem quod mihi debent atque iurauerunt, ut fideliter cum uiro meo similiter faciant.  Quantum uero in hac pagina est scriptum, quecumque in hoc testamento sunt scripta et a me dictatum et specialiter tam sanctis quam hominibus consanguineis, scilicet et successoribus et mercerinariis per Deum separatim uncuique est dimissum omnibus modis, maneat firmum donec, si Deo placuerit, faciam alium testamentum; et indubitanter quecumque in hoc testamento sunt scripta ab audientibus credantur, et a manumissoribus prelibatis quantum possum rogo et per diuinum nomen moneo ut adimpleantur.

Actum est hoc X kalendas iunii anno VIII regis Filippi.

Sig+num Arsendis, qui hunc testamentum scribere iussi et, postquam eum coram me legere feci, manu propria per punctum firmaui et testibus firmare precepi.  Sig+num Arnallus Mironis de Tost, qui hoc confirmo per punctum sicut soleo.  Sig+num Berengario Atinard.  Sig+num Petro Bernardi.  Sig+num Bernardo Atinard.  Sig+num Reimundi, filius Guilielmi de Cabodeyz.  Sig+num Bertrandi Sunearii.  Sig+num Bernardi Luila.  Sign+num Eralli Bernardi.  Sig+num Bernardi Gauzbert.  Sign+num Valencia, comitissa.  Sig+num Bernardi Trasuarii.  Sig+num Berengario Isarni.  Sig+num Gaucerandi Erimanni.  Sig+num Dalmacio Bernardi.  Sig+num Eralli Bernardi.  Sig+num Rodger Hungbert.

Guilelmus, primiscrinius et iudex, qui decimo die post prefate domne Arsindis obitum legaliter hoc testamentum in presencia multorum publicando lecto et perlecto, firmauit cum manumissoribus supradictis ante domnum Arnallum coram Valencia comitissa, filia eius.+

Reimundus, clericus, rogatus scripsit et + die et anno quod supra cum literis suprapositis ubi dicit:  IIII uncias et Mironi Borrelli.

Historical context:

This is the will by which Arsenda leaves her possessions, moveable and immoveables, in some detail, to various churches and members of her family.  I have not yet been able to trace her nephews.  But Valencia's sons were Arnau, and Pedro; Ledgard's was Guerau, according to Pedro Sanahuja's Historia de la Villa de Ager (Barcelona:  Editorial Serafica, 1961).  A castrum is an administrative area including a castle and fortification.

Scholarly notes:

[1] Oztori, “used for great personages,” a scarlet cloth of every shade from rose to purple, woven on the looms of Catalonia as well as brought from the far East, from E.L. Moron, The queens of Aragon:  their lives and times (New York, Brentano’s, 1913), p.66-67.  Tiritania, a Syrian cloth, and ciclaton are costly and exquisite fabrics from the East.

[2] Bonnassie names chess boards and pieces of crystal and of ivory in the possession of Arsinda’s husband Arnau, La Catalogne, 2.796

Printed source:

Col-lecció Diplomàtica de Sant Pere d’Áger, ed. Ramon Chesé Lapeña (Barcelona: Fundació Noguera, 2011), V.1, 326-31, #87.  

Date: