A letter of donation

Translated letter:

When  in the name of the holy and individual Trinity, bishop Peter, primate of that see, Ermengol of Urgell, Deusdé of Barcelona, Berenguer of  Elna, Adalbert of Carcassonne, Ato of Coseran, and abbots Bernard of St. Mary of Crassa, Peter of Rodes, Landric of Guixols, Guifré of the Gallicant  monastery, Amblard of the monastery of St. Cyr, Vives of the monastery of St. Paul Maritime, Pons of the monastery of St. Saturnine, and also many other priests, with archdeacons of the see of Girona and Barcelona present, sat together in the church of the Holy Mother of God Mary of the see of Girona, inspired by harmonious and equal spirit, they determined that a canon house would be constructed for the service of God and his mother in that see and enriched with ecclesiastical things and the gift of the faithful justly conferred, so that God might be served there very easily within the [religious] community daily and whoever are part of it could act with just order.  Whence that Peter, the distinguished bishop, diligently treating with all of them from his ecclesiastical station, and with the countess Ermessenda present and consenting together with her son Berengar, count and marquis, with all those named approving, donated for the construction and enrichment of said canon house the things that are written below, saying: I in the name of Christ Peter bishop of Girona, with countess Ermessenda permitting and her son count Berengar, give to build and reward and enrich said canon house for the service of God and his Mother the church of St. Mary of Castelló with its tithes and first fruits and offerings and all its allods, and the church of St. Eulalia of Villa Nova, with its tithes and first fruits and the offerings of the faithful and its allods, and the church of St. Mary of Aguilar with all things pertaining to it, and the church of St. Saturnine of Arens with all things that pertain to it.  And in the county of Besalú, the church of St. Peter of Montagut with everything that pertains to it, and the church of Carcavelos with everything that pertains to it and the church of St. Andrew of Lorona and other parishes and allods which Mir, viscount of Besalú, held when he left this world and are recognized to be within the right of St. Mary with all its appurtenances, and the church of Ordeis and the tax of Lebrers with its tithes and first fruits and everything pertaining.  All the above named which are in other counties, I the said bishop Peter of Girona give in the same way and hand over to the said canon house  as the said see of St. Mary ought justly to have and has in the aforenamed other counties.

Moreover I, Ermessenda, and count Berengar and bishop Peter, we give to said canonry the church of St. Martin of Cacano with its tithes and first fruits and all its appurtenances, and also the church of St. Martin of Colonico with its tithes and first fruits and offerings and allods and the church of St. Julian of Cortes (Curtibus) with all its appurtenances and the allod which viscount Bremond owed to said canon house, and it is in the county of Girona, in the town of Pera, and also the property of Fontanet (Fontadeta) with all its appurtenances and half the church of St. Leocadia of  Parets (Parietibus), namely as much as pertains to that church, and the allod of Ferrerons and of Ruvirans with all their appendages, and half the parrish of St. Felix of Palatio Rabani, with all its appurtenances and the 4 mills that archdeacon Gitard held.
   ….
And we, said Peter and Ermessenda and Berengar give to that canon home the parrish of St. Amant with its tithes and first fruits and offerings and with all its appurtenances and with its appendage of the church of St. Martin of Presa, with its tithes and first fruits and offerings and with the sacred places and cemeteries of 30 paces,* and the church of St. Martin of Campo Maiore with all its appurtenances and the parrish of St. Mamet of Rudmorts with all its appurtenances and half the church of St. Martin of Lemena with its appurtenances and the parrish of St. Andrew of Mata, with all appurtenances.  ...
… And said countess Ermessenda gave the allod what was held by Bernard Amato, cleric of that canonry; this allod with its appurtenances is in the Angles valley.   …

…+Peter, bishop , +Berengar count, + Ermessenda countess, we who made this donation with willing spirit and asked it to be signed.
Enacted in the 19th year after the millenium of the Incarnation of the Lord on the 12th kalends of December in the 23rd year of the reign of king Robert.
I Benedict of the holy catholic and apostolic Roman church confirm this document and order it to have force eternally in the name of God with apostolic authority.  Ato bishop+. +William bishop.  Ermengol also unworthy bishop by the grace of God (sign of his hand).  I, Berengar bishop of the holy see of Elna, confirm what is written above willingly;  Adalbert bishop of Carcassonne;  I, Deusdé by the grace of God unworthy bishop, confirm all that is written above; I Oliba bishop of the church of Osona, though unworthy, confirm as is just (signs).  + Amelius bishop, I confirm this.  Hugo of the church of Utica (Uticensis).  Stephen bishop of Atens.  +Bernard bishop by the grace of God.

Original letter:

Cum in nomine sancte et indiuidue Trinitatis in ecclesia Sancte Dei genitricis Marie sedis Gerundensis in unum residerent episcopi Petrus, eiusdem sedis presul, Ermengaudus Urgellensis, Deusdedit Barchinonensis, Berengarius Helenensis, Adalbertus Carcasonensis, Ato Coseranensis, abbates etiam Bernardus Sancte Marie Crasse, Petrus Rodensis, Landricus Gissalensis, Guifredus cenobii Gallicantus, Amblardus cenobii Sancti Cirici, Uiues cenobii Sancti Pauli Maritimi, Poncius cenobii Sancti Saturnini, necnon etiam quamplurimi alii sacerdotes, assistentibus archidiaconis eiusdem sedis Gerundensis ac Barchinonensis, diuinitus inspirati concordi ac pari animo definientes statuerunt ut ad seruitium Dei et eius Genitricis in eadem sede domus canonica construeretur et rebus ecclesiasticis et fidelium dono iuste collatis ditaretur, quo facillime Deo ibidem cotidie familiariter militaretur et quicumque eiusdem sunt ordine iusto preficerentur. Unde idem Petrus, presul egregius, de statu ecclesiastico diligenter tractans cum his omnibus, presente ac consenciente comitissa Ermesendis una cum filio suo Berengario comite et marchione, collaudantibus cunctis predictis, donauit ad construendum et ditandum iam dictam canonicam domum hec que infrascripta sunt, dicens: Ego in Christi nomine Petrus episcopus Gerundensis episcopus, permittente Ermesende comitissa eadem filioque suo Berengario comite, dono ad hedificandum et munerandum atque ditandum iam dictam canonicam domum ad seruitium Dei et eiusdem Genitricis ecclesiam Sancte Marie de Castellone cum decimis atque primiciis atque oblacionibus eius et suis omnibus alodiis, et ecclesiam Sancte Eulalie de Uilla Noua cum decimis et primitiis et oblationibus fidelium et alodiis suis, et ecclesiam Sancte Marie de Aguillana cum omnibus rebus ad eam pertinentibus, et ecclesiam sancti Saturnini de Arens cum omnibus rebus que ad eam pertinent. Et in comitatu Bisuldunense ecclesiam sancti Petri de Monteacuto cum omnibus suis pertinentiis, et ecclesiam de Cu<r>cauello cum omnibus suis pertinentiis et ecclesiam Sancti Andree de Lorona et alias parrochias et alodia que Miro uicecomes Bisuldunensis tenebat quando obiit ab hoc seculo et iuris Sancte Marie esse dignoscebantur cum omnibus suis pertinentiis, et ecclesiam de Ordeis et fiscum de Lebrers cum decimis et primitiis et omnibus illorum pertinentiis. Supradicta autem omnia que in aliis comitatibus sunt, ego supranominatus Gerundensis episcopus Petrus taliter dono et trado predicte canonice domui qualiter iam dicta sedes Sancte Marie ea in prenominatis aliis comitatibus iuste habere debet uel habet.

Insuper ego Ermesendis et Berengarius comes et Petrus episcopus damus prelibate canonice ecclesiam Sancti Martini de Cacano cum decimis et primitiis atque omnibus pertinentiis eius, necnon et ecclesiam Sancti Martini de Colonico cum decimis et primitiis et eius oblationibus atque alodiis et ecclesiam Sancti Iuliani de Curtibus cum omnibus suis pertinentiis et alodium quod Bremundus uicecomes debitauit ad predictam canonicam domum, et est in comitatu Gerundensi, in uilla Pera, necnon et mansum de Fontadeta cum omnibus suis pertinentiis et medietatem ecclesie Sancte Leocadie de Parietibus, quantum scilicet ad eandem ecclesiam pertinet, et alodium de Ferrerons et de Ruuirans cum omnibus appenditiis suis, et medietatem parrochie sancti Felicis de Palatio Rabani, cum omnibus eius pertinentiis, et molendina .iiii.or que Gitardus archidiaconus tenebat.
...
Et nos predicti Petrus et Ermesendis et Berengarius donamus eidem domui canonice parrochiam Sancti Amantii cum decimis et primitiis atque oblationibus et cum suis omnibus pertinentiis et cum suo appenditio ecclesie Sancti Martini de Presa, cum decimis et primitiis et oblationibus et cum sacrariis et cimiteriis .xxx. passuum, et ecclesiam Sancti Martini de Campo Maiore cum omnibus suis pertinentiis, et parrochiam Sancti Mameti de Rudmorts cum omnibus suis pertinentiis, et medietatem ecclesie Sancti Martini de Lemena cum suis pertinentiis et parrochiam Sancti Andree de Mata, cum omnibus pertinentiis.
...
Et comitissa predicta Ermesendis donauit alodium quod fuit Bernardi Amati clerici eiusdem canonice; hoc alodium cum suis pertinentiis est in ualle Angles
....
+Petrus episcopus, +Berengarius comes, +Ermesendis comitissa, nos qui hanc donationem libenti animo fecimus et firmare eam rogauimus.
Acta sunt hec anno Incarnationis Dominice .xviiii. post millesimum, .xii. die kalendarum decembrium anno .xxiii. regni Roberti regis.
Ego Benedictus sancte catholice et apostolice Romane ecclesie confirmo hoc prescriptum et precipio in Dei nomine ualere in eternum cum apostolica auctoritate. Ato episcopus+. +Uillelmus episcopus. Ermengaudus ac si indignus gratia Dei episcopus. (s. man.) Berengarius sancte sedis Helenensis episcopus hec suprascripta libenter confirmo. Adalbertus episcopus Carcassonensis. Deusdedit Dei gratia hac indignus episcopus omnia suprascripta confirmo. Oliba sancte Ausonensis ecclesie episcopus licet indignus, quod iustum est confirmo sss. +Amelius episcopus hoc confirmo. Ugo ecclesie Uticensis. Stephanus episcopus Atensis. +Bernardus gratia Dei episcopus.

Historical context:

The countess and her son join the bishop of Girona and others to endow the canonry of St. Mary in the see of Girona.  The text given here omits passages not relevant to the countess.

Scholarly notes:

• One definition of passus in DuCange, Glossarium:  Item demi-arpent de pré d'une part, neuf Pas de pré d'autre part, et cinq Pas de pré de l'autre part, tenant ensemble et contenant le tout trois quartiers de pré ou environ.

Printed source:

Cartoral, dit de Carlemany, del bisbe de Girona (S.IX-XIV), ed. Josep Maria Marquès (Barcelona:  Fundació Noguera, 1993), 2 v.,  1.178-84, #79.  

Date: