A letter of donation

Translated letter:

In the name of the Lord.  I Raymond, count by the grace of God, and my spouse Ermessenda, countess by the will of God, we both are of our free will donors to the lord God and the house of St. Mary mother of the lord, to the see of Girona of something from our propety, that is four measures of land for the increase and enhancement of the price namely the 100 ounces of gold which we gave for the document of sale which bishop Peter of that see with his canons made to us of the church of St. Daniel with all its things, that is located near the city of Girona so that this price may be greater and increased thus.  It came to me, count Raymond, through my parents and to me countess Ermessenda by the right which Gothic laws gives to wives of counts in such things.  This land is four measures near the city of Girona in that plain over the Mercadal.  It abuts in the east the land of us the donors, in the south, the Guadel and the highway, in the west the comital region (rego), in the north donors’ lands.  Whatever these abutments enclose, we give to the lord God and the house of the said see, completely, so that all the sacristans who are at said see of St. Mary from today to the end of the world may hold said land, four measures, each in his own order in the service of Christ and the said see, and by our right we transfer and discharge into the right of said see, as its own, with the exits and entries.  Which if we donors or any man are or is temped to break this donation unjustly and illegally, his or our claim would vanish and moreover for temporal punishment he would pay said house of St. Mary triple the four measures of abovenamed land and henceforth this donation would remain firm for all time.

This donation was made on the 13th kalends of July in the 19th year of the reign of king Robert.

Raymond+, count by the grace of God, +Ermessenda, countess by the grace of God, we who made this donation and asked it to be signed.  Sign+ of Bernard Seniofred.  Sign+ of Gerall of Velleig.  Sign+ of Dalmau of Rocabert, his brother.  Sign+ of Raimbald.  Sign+ of Isuard, his brother.  Sign+ of Mir Ostal.  Sign+ of Gilmund.  Sign+ of Berengar.  Sign+ of Gitard Spado.  Sign+ of Ermemir Companho. Sign+ of Guandalgad of Albares.  Sign+ of Gaucefred Bernard.

Pons, by surname Bonifilo, cleric and judge, I who wrote this and signed on the day and year as above (sign of the hand).

Original letter:

In nomine Domini. Ego Raimundus gratia Dei comes et coniuxa Ermesindis uoluntate Dei comitissa, nos uterque nostra sponte donatores sumus domino Deo et domui Sancte Marie matris domini sedi Gerundensi aliquid de propietate nostra, idest quatuor modiatas de terra propter ampliationem et magnificationem precii uidelicet .c. auri untias quas nos dedimus pro scriptura emptionis quam nobis fecit Petrus aepiscopus istius sedis cum suis cannonicis de aecclesia Sancti Danielis, cum suis omnibus rebus, que sita est prope urbem Gerundensem ut istud precium maius et ampliatum fuisset sicuti est. Aduenit mihi Raimundo comiti per genitores meos et mihi Ermesindi comitisse per uocem quam leges gotice dant uxoribus comitum in illorum rebus. Est hec terra quatuor modiatas iusta urbem Gerundensem in ipso piano super ipsum Mercadalem. Affrontat a parte orientis in terra de nobis donatoribus, de meridie, in ipso Guadello siue in strata, de occiduo in ipso rego comitale, de parte uero circii in terra de nobis donatoribus. Quantum iste affrontationes includunt, sic donamus domino Deo et domui prelibate sedis, eo tenore totum ab integro, ut omnes sacriste qui ab hodierno die usque ad finem seculi fuerint de predicta sede beate Marie teneant predictam terram modiatas quatuor unusquisque in suo hordine sub seruitio Christi et iam dicte sedis, et de nostra iure in ius prefate sedis transfundimus et immittimus cum exiis et regressiis eius ad proprium. Quod si nos donatores aut aliquis homo iniuste et absque lege hanc donationem inrumpere temptauerimus aut temptauerit, euanescat eius assertio uel nostra et insuper pro temporali pena componat predicte domui beate Marie prescriptam terram quatuor modiatas in triplum, et inantea hec donatio firma permaneat omnique tempore.

Facta ista donatio .xiii. kalendas iulii anno .xviiii. regnante Roberto rege.

+Raimundus, gratia Dei comes, +Ermesindis gratia Dei comitissa, nos qui ista donatione fecimus et firmare rogauimus. Sig+num. Bernardus Seniofredus. Sig+num Gerallus de Uelleigo. Sig+num Dalmatius de Rocabertino, frater eius. Sig+num Raiambaldus. Sig+num Isuardus, frater eius. Sig+num Miro Ostalensis. Sig+num Gilmundus. Sig+num Berengarius. Sig+num Gitardus Spado. Sig+num Ermemirus Companus. Sig+num Guandalgadus de Albares. Sig+num Gaucefredus Bernardus.

Poncius cognomento Bonifilii, clerici et iudicis, qui hec scripsi et sss sub die et anno quo supra (s. man.).

Historical context:

The count and countess  donate four pieces of land near the Mercadal of Girona to increase the value of what they paid to acquire the church of St. Daniel. 

Printed source:

Cartoral, dit de Carlemany, del bisbe de Girona (S.IX-XIV), ed. Josep Maria Marquès (Barcelona:  Fundació Noguera, 1993), 2 v., 1.168-69, #75.

Date: