A letter to bishop Berengar of Girona

Translated letter:

In the name of the Lord and our savior Jesus Christ.  I, Ermessenda, by the grace of God countess, thinking of my fragile life and fearing the punishment of Hell, for God and his mother the blessed virgin Mary, and for the remedy of the soul of my husband Raymond and my own and my sons’ and all my parents, (I) give back to said mother of God Mary and her see and into the power of the bishop of said see Berengar, all the churches and all the legal fiefs and all the lands and houses and all allods with everything pertaining to said allods, everything that I, Ermessenda, hold in whatever way in the bishopric of said see of St. Mary and men and women hold through me and will have held.  These are things which I give back wholly and in a sincere way to said mother of God and said bishop.  First, I said Ermessenda willingly and by my spontaneous will give up the tower of Palou (Palacio) with all its appurtenances and the tower of Púbol with its church and with all the appurtenances that pertain to said tower and church, and I give up the church of St. Isidore with Pera with all its appurtenances, and the church of St. Felix of Boada with all its appurtenances and the church of Pals with all its appurtenances and the church of St. Saturnine of Sauzeto with all its appendages and appurtenances, and the church of St. John of Fuxano with all its appurtenances, and the church with all its appurtenances which Raymond archdeacon of Barcelona held, that is the church of Ecclesiis Albis with all its appurtenances, and the church of St. Saturnine of Villa Freder with its appurtenances and churches with that fortress which Oto Macoti held with its appurtenances and taxes and allods, and the church of St. Vincent of Camonos with all its appurtenances and taxes and the church of St. Martin of Rivoluti with all its appurtenances and the church of St. Martin of Mota with all its appurtenances and the church of Burdils with all its appurtenances; and churches with all their appurtenances which Eneas of said see holds as owed (debitas) and that church of Mont Palau with all its appurtenances and with that castle and church of St. Martin of Palau Furgelli with all its appurtenances and appendages and the church of St. Martin of Colonico with all its appurtenances and the church of St. Christine of Araza with all its appurtenances and the church of St. Felix of Locustaria with all its appurtenances and the church of St. Stephen of Caldes with all its appurtenances and the church of Mont Rotondo with its allods and taxes and all its appurtenances, and the church of Acualta with all its appurtenances, and the church of Libiano with all its appurtenances and the church of Pariete Ruffini with all its appurtenances, and the church of Villa de Asinis with all its appurtenances, and the church of St. Leocadia of Pradis with all its appurtenances and the castle of Blanes with its appurtenances that pertain to said St. Mary and the church of St. Cecilia of Mont Calvi with all its appurtenances and the church of Villadalmalla with all its appurtenances and the church of Filinis with all its appurtenances and the church of Pineda with its allod and its appurtenances and the church of Mont Foliano with its appurtenances and the church of Bascanon with its appurtenances and the church of St. Peter of Laurano with its appurtenances and tax and the wealth of Anglès.  All the above things I, the abovenamed countess Ermessend completely and sincerely give over to the blessed mother of God, said Mary and her said see, and to you the named pontiff Berengar, and in whatever way and by acquisition I hold and held all said things and men and women hold [them] through me and those which were taken away by me from the said see its own rule and right and by my counsel and contrivance and any penalty (faccione), I the said countess give up and restore to the said see its own right and to you said Berengar.  Moreover all the other things which have not been named by me, which I hold and held in whatever way, taken away by my deed and counsel which I remember and which I do not remember, however they came to my by right and control, devoutly and freely I restore to said see and you Berengar, so that no man may hold and possess said things against St. Mary and againt the will of you, said bishop Berengar, by any authority of mine.

Original letter:

<I>n nomine Domini et saluatoris nostri Ihesu Christi. Ego Ermesendis, gratia Dei comitissa cogitans meam fragilem uitam et timens inferni penam,  propter Deum et eius genitricem beatam uirginem Mariam et propter remedium anime uiri mei Raimundi et mee et filiorum meorum et omnium parentorum meorum, reddo iam dicte Dei genitrice Marie et eius sedi et in potestate episcopi iam dicte sedis Berengarii omnes ecclesias et omnes feuos legales et omnes terras et mansos et omnia alodia cum omnibus que pertinent ad predicta alodia, omnia que ego Ermesendis quocumque modo teneo et tenui de episcopatu Sancte Marie iam dicte sedis et homines et femine tenent per me et tenuerunt. Iste autem sunt res quas reddo integriter et sincero modo iam dicte Dei genitrici et eius episcopo predicto. In primis ego prescripta Ermesendis libens et spontanea mea uoluntate reddo turrem de Palacio cum suis pertinentiis omnibus et reddo turrem de Pubalo cum ipsa sua ecclesia et cum omnibus pertinentiis que pertinent ad iam dictam turrem et ecclesiam, et reddo ecclesiam Sancti Isidori cum ipsa Pera cum suis pertinentiis omnibus, et ecclesiam Sancti Felicis de Beuda[Boada] cum suis pertinentiis omnibus et ecclesiam de Pals cum suis omnibus pertinentiis et ecclesiam sancti Saturnini de Sauzeto cum suis appenditiis et pertinentiis omnibus, et ecclesiam sancti Iohannis de Fuxano cum cuis pertinentiis omnibus, et ecclesiam cum suis pertinentiis omnibus quas Raimundus archidiaconus Barchinonensis tenuit, hoc est ecclesiam de Ecclesiis Albis cum suis pertinentiis omnibus, et ecclesiam sancti Saturnini de Uilla Freder cum suis pertinentiis et ecclesias cum ipsa forteda quas Oto Macoti tenuit cum suis pertinentiis et fiscis et alodiis, et ecclesiam Sancti Uincentii de Camonos cum suis pertinentiis omnibus et fiscis, et ecclesiam Sancti Martini de Riuoluti cum suis pertinentiis omnibus et ecclesiam Sancti Martini de Mota cum suis pertinentiis omnibus et ecclesiam de Burdils cum suis pertinentiis omnibus; et ecclesias suis cum pertinentiis omnibus quas tenet Eneas iam dicte sedi debitas et ipsam ecclesiam de Monte Palatii cum suis pertinentiis omnibus et cum ipso castello et ecclesiam Sancti Martini de Palatio Furgelli cum suis pertinentiis omnibus et appenditiis et ecclesiam Sancti Martini de Colonico cum suis pertinentiis omnibus et ecclesiam Sancte Christine de Araza cum suis pertinentiis omnibus et ecclesiam Sancti Felicis de Locustaria cum suis pertinentiis omnibus et ecclesiam Sancti Stephani de Calidis cum suis pertinentiis omnibus et ecclesiam Montis Rotondi cum alodiis et fiscis et suis pertinentiis omnibus, et ecclesiam de Acualta cum suis pertinentiis omnibus, et ecclesiam de Libiano cum suis pertinentiis omnibus et ecclesiam de Pariete Ruffini cum suis pertinetiis omnibus, et ecclesiam de Uillam de Asinis cum suis pertinentiis omnibus, et ecclesiam Sancte Leocadie de Parietibus [Pradis] cum suis pertinentiis omnibus et castellum de Blanes cum suis pertinentiis que pertinent ad iam dictam Sanctam Mariam et ecclesiam Sancte Cecilie Montis Calui cum suis pertinentiis omnibus et ecclesiam de Uiladalmalla cum suis pertinentiis omnibus et ecclesiam de Filinis cum suis pertinentiis omnibus et ecclesiam de Pineda cum ipso alodio et pertinentiis eius et ecclesiam de Monte Foliano cum suis pertinetiis et ecclesiam de Bascanon cum suis pertinentiis et ecclesiam Sancti Petri de Laurano cum pertinentiis eius et fisco et ipso auer de Angles. <Qu>as supradictas res ego supranominata Ermesendis comitissa integro modo et sincero reddo beate Dei genitrici iam dicte Marie et eius predicte sedi et tibi Berengario pontifici prescripto et quocumque modo et adquisitione teneam et tenui predictas omnes res et homines et feminas tenent per me et ea quecumque ablata sunt per me a dominico et proprio iure iam dicte sedis et meo consilio et ingenio et faccione aliqua ego prelibata comitissa reddo et restituo iuri proprio iam dicte sedis et tuo predicte Berengarii. Preterea alias omnes res que mihi nominate non sunt, quas teneo et tenui et quocumque modo, facto et consilio ablate sunt per me quarum reminiscor et quarum non reminiscor, quocumque modo uenissent ad ius et dominium meum uotiue et libere restituo iam dicte sedi et tibi Berengario, ita ut nullus homo non teneat et possideat predictas res contra Sanctam Mariam et contra uoluntatem tuam predicte Berengari episcope per ullam meam uocem. 

Historical context:

The countess returns to the see of Girona and bishop Berengar the chuches and fiefs that she had taken from him, for her soul and the soul of her late husband count Raymond and her children and other relatives.

Printed source:

Cartoral, dit de Carlemany, del bisbe de Girona (S.IX-XIV), ed. Josep Maria Marquès (Barcelona:  Fundació Noguera, 1993), 2 v.,  1.239-41, #120.  

Date: