A letter of donation

Translated letter:

In the name of the Lord.  I count Raymond, and my wife countess Ermessenda, are donors to God and St. Mary in the see of Girona, of that tower which is in a place called Pals, that was held by Olibano and his brother Seniofred, together with that church of St. Peter which was founded beside that tower with all things that pertain to that church and with those allods which are in the county of Girona that was held by said Olibano and his brother Seniofred, which Sunyer holds today, that is houses, villages, courts, courtyards, gardens, orchards, lands and vineyards, trees, cultivated and uncultivated areas, as much as can be said or named that was held by said brothers or that Sunyer holds now.  All the above we hand over and give, I said Raymond and my wife, to the said house of St. Mary with its perpetual right, and we give to said see those allods which were held by the woman Ermetrud, and Ravello that was within the boundary of Boada and in the parrish of St. Felix and what Guifred of Rioner holds there today, that is houses, villages, courts, courtyards, gardens, orchards, lands and vineyards, trees, cultivated and uncultivated areas as its own, and we give, I said Raymond and my said wife, to said see that allod of Mollet which was held by Olibano which Sunyer, son of the late woman Gardinia,  holds today, that is houses, villages, courts, courtyards, gardens, orchards, lands and vineyards, trees, cultivated and uncultivated areas, as much as Sunyer holds there today.  All the above came to me Raymond through my parents and whatever rights, to me Ermessenda by my tenth; and we give and hand over all the above to said see as its own without fraud and without any reservation, with their exits and entrances and their abutments.  Which, if we the givers or any person should attempt to break this document, he would not be able to get what he sought, but must pay double all the above and henceforth this donation would remain firm and whole now and for all time.

This donation was made on the nones of April in the 7th year of the reign of king Hugo who had long been duke.

Sign+ of count Raymond, sign+ of countess Ermessenda, we who made this donation and asked it to be signed.  (sign of his hand) Arnulf, unworthy/humble bishop and abbot (sign of his hand) Oliba archdeacon.   Adalbert, deacon (sign of his hand).  (Sign of his hand) Adalbert deacon.  Sign+ of Oliba.  Sign+ of Guisad.  Sign+ of Stephen.  Sign+ of Seniuld.

Original letter:

<I>n nomine Domini. Ego Raimundus comes et uxor mea Ermesens comitissa donatores sumus Deo et Sancta Maria sedi Gerunda ipsa turre que est in locum qui dicitur Palaz, que fuit de Olibano et de Seniofredo fratre suo, simul cum ipsa ecclesia Sancti Petri que est fundata iuxta ipsa turre cum omnes res que ad ipsam ecclesiam pertinent et cum ipsos alodes qui sunt in comitatu Gerundense qui fuerunt de Olibano iam dicto et cum fratre suo Seniofredo quod Suniarius hodie tenet, id sunt casas, casalibus, curtes, curtilibus, ortis, ortalibus et terras et uineas, arboribus, cultum et heremum, quantum dici uel nominari potest quod fuit de supradictos fratres uel quod Suniarius hodie tenet. Hec omnia suprascripta tradimus et donamus nos ego Raimundus suprascriptus et uxor mea ad domum Sancte Marie suprascripte ad ipso iure perpetuo, et donamus ad supradicta sede ipsos alodes qui fuerunt de Ermetrude femina siue de Rauello qui fuit *in terminio de Buada uel in parrochia Sancti Felicis uel quod Guifredus de Rioner hodie ibi tenet, id sunt casas, casalibus* curtis, curtilibus, ortis, ortalibus, arboribus, terras et uineas, cultum uel heremum ad proprium, et donamus ego Raimundus suprascriptus et uxor mea suprascripta ad suprascripta sede ipsum alodem de Molleto qui fuit de Olibano quod hodie tenet Suniarius qui fuit filius de Gardinia femina, id sunt casas, casalibus, curtis, curtilibus, ortis, ortalibus, curtibus, terras et uineas, cultum uel heremum, quantum Suniarius hodie ibi tenet. Hec omnia suprascripta aduenit ad me Raimundo per parentorum meorum uel qualicumque uoce, ad me Ermesens per meum decimum; et nos omnia suprascripta donamus et tradimus a proprio ad supradictam sedem sine fraude et sine ulla reseruatione, cum exiis et regressiis earum et cum illorum affrontationes. Quod si nos donatores aut ulla persona hec scriptura uenerit ad inrumpendum, non hoc valeat uendicare quod repetit, sed in duplo componat hec omnia suprascripta et inantea ista donatio firma et integra permaneat modo uel omnique tempore.

Facta donatione nonas aprilis anno .vii. regnante Ugone rege qui dudum fuerat dux.

Sig+num Raimundi comes, sig+num Ermesens comitissa, nos qui hanc donationem fecimus et firmare rogauimus. (s. man.) Arnulfus, ac si indignus episcopus et abba (s. man.) sss. Oliba archileuita. Adalbertus leuita (s. man.) (s. man.). Adalbertus leuita. Sig+num Oliba. Sig+num Guisadus. Sig+num Stephanus. Sig+num Seniuldus.

Ferreolus leuita qui istam scripturam donationis scripsi die et anno quo supra.

*Words between the asterisks were transcribed twice.

Historical context:

The count and countess give three allods to the see of Girona, in Pals, Boada, and Mollet.   Dated by the reign of Hugh Capet, duke and then king of France.

Printed source:

Cartoral, dit de Carlemany, del bisbe de Girona (S.IX-XIV), ed. Josep Maria Marquès (Barcelona:  Fundació Noguera, 1993), 2 v.,  1.156-57 #67.  

Date: