A letter of donation to Alphonse

Translated letter:

By legal authority it is decreed that things donated, if they are handed over in person (presenti), may in no way be taken back by the donator.  Because of which, in the name of God, the eternal King, I Petronilla, by the grace of God queen of Aragon and countess of Barcelona, who was wife of the venerable Raymond Berengar, count of Barcelona and prince of Aragon, with willing spirit and very ready will, with the counsel and consent and foresight of Hugh/Ugo, by the grace of God archbishop of Tarragona, and Peter, bishop of Saragossa, and William bishop of Barcelona, and the count of Pallars and Peter of Castel Azol and Deusaiuda and Peter Ortiz and Blascho Romeo and Ximeno of Artosella and Dodon of Alcalá, and Fortuño Maza and William Raymond, seneschal, and William of Castellvell and Arbert of Castellvell, and other magnates, of Aragon as well as Barcelona, I give and approve and grant to you, my beloved son Ildefonso/Alphonse, king of Aragon and count of Barcelona, who in my husband’s will are called Ramon, and to all your posterity the entire kingdom of Aragon wholly, cities and towns, townships and churches and monasteries, cultivated and barren lands, cliffs, mountains, fortresses and waters, all powers, knights and men, tributes (dominationes) and lordships (senioraticos) of lands and men, with all the boundaries and possessions and appurtenances which pertain to said kingdom of Aragon, and ought to pertain in whatever way, and as my grandather and great-grandfather ever better held that kingdom of Aragon and ought to have it, fully with its entries and exits, together with all the increases and acquisitions which, with God’s help you might have and acquire to the said kingdom by all things and in all, I hand over, surrender, and give to you, my said son king Alphonse, and all your posterity, as might best be said or named by human mouth, with all its integrity, without my retaining any voice or other power there.  And, so that this donation of my good will may better be held and kept firm and stable, I confirm with my own hand and approve and grant the ordering of my husband’s testament and his last will, as my husband, your father, established and arranged about the whole said kingdom and others in his will, about which judment an oath was sworn, binding and reinforced by his magnates, so that his ordering and last will may remain firm and stable now and in perpetuity.  If however it should happen that you die without legitimate offspring, it will follow the ordering of the will of my husband, your father among your other brothers. If anyone should attempt to oppose the writing of this donation to break it, he can in no way do that, but must pay all the above twice over; and moreover this gift is stable and firm for all time.

This was enacted in Barcelona on the 14th kalends of July in the year 1164 from the Lord’s incarnation. 

Si+gn of Petronilla, by the grace of God queen of Aragon and countess of Barcelona, who approve and confirm and ask witnesses to sign this.  Si+gn of William, bishop of Barcelona. Peter, by the grace of God, bishop of Saragossa.  Si+gn of Arnal Mir, count of Pallar.  Si+gn of Peter of Castel Azol.  Si+gn of Deusaiuda.  Si+gn of Peter Ortiz.  Si+gn of Blascho Romeo.  Si+gn of Ximeno of Artosella.  Si+gn of Dodon of Alcalá.   Si+gn of Fortuño Maza.  Si+gn of William Raymond, seneschal. Si+gn of William of Castellvell.  Si+gn of Arbert of Castellvell.  Si+gn of Bernard Marcuci. Si+gn of Peter Arnal. Si+gn of Peter of Corron, writer/scribe, who wrote this, with the letters placed above lines 16 and 18, on the day and year above.

Original letter:

Auctoritate legali decretum est ut res donate, si in presenti tradite sunt, nullo modo repetantur a donatore. Quapropter, in Dei, eterni Regis, nomine, ego Petronilla, Dei gratia Aragonensis regina et Barchinonensis comitissa, uxor que fui venerabilis Raimundi Berengarii, comitis Barchinonensis et principis Aragonensis, libenti animo et promtissima voluntate, cum consilio et consensu et providencia Ugonis, Dei dignatione Terrachonensis archiepiscopi, et Petri, Cesaraugustani episcopi, ac Guillelmi, Barchinonensis episcopi, et comitis Palearensis atque Petri de Castel Azol et Deusaiuda et Petri Ortiz et Blascho Romeo et Exemeni de Artosella et Dodonis de Alchala atque Fortunii Maza et Guillelmi Raimundi, dapiferi, et Guillelmi de Castro vetulo et Arberti de Castro vetulo, aliorumque magnatum, tam Aragonensium quam Barchinonensium, dono et laudo et concedo tibi, dilecto filio meo Ildefonso, regi Aragonensi et comiti Barchinonensi, qui in testamento eiusdem viri mei vocaris Raimundus, et omni posteritati tue omne regnum Aragonis integriter, civitates quoque et castra, villas et ecclesias et monasteria, terras cultas et heremas, rochas, montes et fortitudines et aquas, potestates universas, milites et homines, dominationes et senioraticos, tam terrarum quam hominum, et cum omnibus terminis et possessionibus et pertinenciis que ad prephatum regnum Aragonis pertinet, et quocumque modo pertinere debet, et sicut unquam avus et proavus meus melius ipsum regnum Aragonis tenuerunt et habere debuerunt, cum introitibus et exitibus suis integriter, simul cum omnibus augmentationibus et adquisitionibus que, Deo auxiliante, ad prephatum regnum adquirere et habere potueris per omnia et in omnibus, tibi, predicto filio meo Ildefonso regi, omnique posteritati tue trado et solvo et dono, ut melius dici vel nominari poterit humano ore, cum omni sua integritate sine ulla voce et aliqua dominatione inibi a me ullo modo retenta. Et, ut melius hec mee bone voluntatis donatio firma et stabilis in perpetuum habeatur et teneatur, confirmo propria manu mea et laudo et concedo ordinationem testamenti eiusdem viri mei et ultimam voluntatem suam, sicut idem vir meus, pater tuus, de omni predicto regno et de ceteris statuit et ordinavit in suo testamento, de quo iudicium iureiurando obligatum et corroboratum est a magnatibus suis, ut ordinatio et ultima eius voluntas firma et stabilis nunc et in perpetuum firmiter persistat. Si autem te mori contingent sine prole legitima, sequatur ordinatio testamenti eiusdem viri mei, patris tui, inter alios fratres tuos. Si quis contra hanc huius donationis scripturam ad infringendum venire temptaverit, nullo modo facere possit, sed supradicta omnia in duplo componat; et insuper hoc donum omni tempore sit stabile et firmum. Actum est hoc in Barchinona xiiii  kalendas iulii anno Dominice incarnationis mclxiiii. Sig+num Petronille, Dei gratia regine Aragonensis et comitisse Barchinonensis, que hoc laudo et confirmo et testes firmare rogo. Sig+num Guillelmi, Barchinonensis episcopi. Petrus, Dei gratia Cesaraugustanus episcopus. Sig+num Arnalli Mironis, comitis Palearensis. Sig+num Petri de Castel Azol. Sig+num Deusaiuda. Sig+num Petri Ortiz. Sig+num Blascho Romeo. Sig+num Exemeni de Artosella. Sig+num Dodonis de Alchala. Sig+num Fortunii Maza. Sig+num Guillelmi Raimundi, dapiferi. Sig+num Guillelmi de Castrovetulo. Sig+num Arberti de Castrovetulo. Sig+num Bernardi Marcucii. Sig+num Petri Arnalli. Sig+num Petri de Corron, scriptoris, qui hoc scripsit, cum litteris suprapositis in linea xvi et xviii die et anno quo supra.

Historical context:

This documents the queen's formal donation of her kingdom to her eldest son, Alphonse (Ildefonse) after the death of his father Ramon Berenguer.

Printed source:

Liber Feudorum Maior, ed. Francisco M. Rosell (Barcelona, 1945) 1.23-24, #17.

Date: