A donation to Fornigada

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and individual trinity.  In the 1072nd year from the incarnation of our lord Jesus Christ, 14th kalends of February, 10th indiction.  In the monastery of the church of St. Andrew the apostle, which was built in the suburb of the city of Mantova where the lord Albert is known to preside as abbot.  We, Beatrice, daughter of the late Frederick, and Matilda, daughter of the late Boniface, mother and daughter, countesses and duchesses, who are committed to live under Salic law,  as presenters and donors to that monastery, have said in person to those present:  Whoever would confer something of his possessions on holy and venerable places, according to the voice of authority [Mark 10:30, Math 19:29] will receive a hundredfold in this world, and moreover what is still better, will possess eternal life.  Therefore we, the named Beatrice and Matilda, give and offer from the present day to that monastery for our souls and the reward of the late Boniface, my (the named Matilda) father, to that order which is inscribed below, namely one court of a farm, [domuscoltilis], which is called Fornigada, with a chapel consecrated in honor of St. George, martyr of Christ, with houses and all things in those lands and possessions [masaritiis] and thickets and woods, which are known to pertain to that court and chapel in our jurisdiction, which we are known to have in the county of Mantova.  And the said court with said chapel and possessions which pertain to that court and chapel, together with the whole settlement and the vines and arable lands and meadows and grasslands by just measure thirty-two jugers* and of woods with their untilled lands three thousand jugers.  And if anything further of things in our jurisdiction should be found pertaining to that court and chapel and wood, which is bound by the above measure, by this charter of offering it would remain in the power of that monastery by proprietary right, as was said, so much as said court and chapel and wood, with its pertaining settlements and vineyards, with their untilled and arable lands, and grasslands and meadows, pastures, woods, and stands, riverbanks, rocks, marshes, fisheries, cultivated and uncultivated, divided and undivided, together with all the boundaries and borders, accesses to waters and water conduits, with all rights, what is adjacent and pertaining of those things by place and name to that court and chapel and the wood pertaining in its entirety.  And belonging to said court:  to the east the land of St. Peter in the above city of Mantova and of St. Rufinus, in the south, the river which is called Lario, to the west the monastery and land of St. Peter, similarly a canal [fossa] from the mountains, which is called Fornigada, and that river which is called Mincio and is a lake.   As much the aforesaid court of the farm with its said chapel and all things pertaining to it of our said jurisdiction, together with accesses and entries and its higher and lower [parts], as is read above, in its entirety from this day we gave to that monastery, confer, and by the present charter of offering confirm it to hold there. 

Moreover, by knife, knotted straw, glove, and clod of land and branch of a tree, we give over and invest legally on the part of that monastery and we henceforth abandon and make ourselves alien and absent and leave it to be held as the property of that monastery, letting it do on the part of that monastery whatever it will by proprietary name, by that order as is read above, without any opposition or reclamation from us, the above mother and daughter, and our heirs and their heirs.  Indeed, we put forth and promise that the above mother and daughter together with our heirs and their heirs will defend the afore-written offering on the part of that monastery, as read above, in its entirety against anyone opposing it.  Which if we could not defend it or sought to remove anything thence from you, then we would restore doubly that offering as read above in its entirety on the part of that monastery, as it might have increased in value by estimate in a similar place, according to that order that the above-mentioned abbot or his successors and the bishop, who is now known to preside over the bishopric of the church of Mantova, or their successors not have authority or power by any trick or circumstance that might occur to sell, give, exchange or alienate by title of emphyteusis** and by deed or benefice or any other way unless by deed to minor persons in order to make payment for use and consumption or to the family of that monastery and the abbot and monks who are now there or will afterwards be ordained in that monastery.  And if anything were done against this, the above-written things would come back to the power of the above mother and daughter or their heirs and the heirs’ heirs until all these return to the above-written use.  Moreover we reserve to ourselves the usufruct and lordship of that wood as long as we, together or separately, live, except that the abovesaid abbot or his successors have use of it and the pasturing of their and their serfs’ pigs.  If, indeed, anyone, which I do not believe will happen, if we the above Beatrice and Matilda, mother and daughter, let it not be so, or any of our heirs or their heirs or whatever opposing person should ever attempt to fight this charter of offering or break it by any kind of trick, then we would incur on that part, against which we brought suit, a fine, which is the penalty of fifty ounces of the best gold  and eighty weights of silver.  And we would not be able to claim what we sought, but this present charter of offering would remain firm for all time and would persist  undisturbed with the supporting stipulation.  And we have raised the parchment with ink from the earth; this charter of my offering page I gave over to judge John of the holy palace and asked him to write confirming which he offered it here below to be strengthened by witnesses.
Enacted in the abovewritten city, Mantova, happily.
Signs of the hands of Algiso and Razo and Crescentius, witnesses living under Salic law.
Signs of the hands of Roger of the city of Reggio and Paganus of Corsena and Ingo and Beatus of Fornigada, witnesses.
I who am the above palatine judge John, scribe of this charter of offering, completed and gave it as committed to me. 

Original letter:

In nomine sancte et individue trinitatis.  Anno ab incarnatione domini nostri Jesu Christi millesimo septuagesimo secundo, quartodecimo kal. februarii, indictione decima.  Monasterio ecclesie sancti Andree apostoli, quod est edificatum subburbio civitatis Mantue, ubi nunc dominus Albertus abbas preesse videtur.  Nos Beatrix, filia quondam Federici, atque Matilda, filia quondam Bonifacii, mater et filia, comitisse ac ducatrices, que professe sumus lege vivere Salico, offertrices atque donatrices ipsi monasterio, presentes presentibus diximus:  Quisquis in sanctis ac in venerabilibus locis ex suis aliquid contulerit rebus, iuxta auctoris vocem in hoc seculo centuplum accipiet, insuper et, quod melius est, vitam possidebit eternam. Ideoque nos, que supra Beatrix et Matilda, donamus et offerimus a presenti die in eodem monasterio pro animarum nostrarum atque Bonefacii quondam genitoris mei, que supra Matilde, mercede, eo tamen ordine ut subtus legitur, videlicet curtem unam domuscoltilis, que vocatur Fornicata, cum capella una consecrata in honore sancti Georgii martiris Christi, cum casis et omnibus rebus illis territoriis atque masaritiis seu runcoris atque silvis, que ad ipsam curtem et capellam pertinere videntur iuris nostri, quas habere vise sumus in comitatu Mantuanense. Et est prefata curte cum iam dicta capella et rebus, que ad ipsam curtem et capellam pertinent, insimul super totum inter sedimen et vites seu terras arabiles atque prata seu gerbida per mensuram iustam iuges triginta et duo, et de buscaleis cum areis illorum iuges tria milia. Et si amplius de nostri iuris rebus ad eandem cur­tem et capellam seu silvam pertinentibus inventum fuerit, quam ut supra mensura legitur, per hanc offersionis cartulam ipsius monasterii potestate persistat proprietario iure, ut dictum est, tam predictam curtem et capellam seu silvam, pertinentibus cum sediminibus et vineis, cum areis illorum et terris arabilibus et gerbidis seu pratis, pascuis, silvis ac stallareis, rivis, rupibus ac paludibus, piscationibus, cultis et incultis, divisis et indivisis, una cum omnibus terminibus et finibus, accessionibus aquarum aquarumque ductibus, cum omni iure, adiacentiis et pertinentibus earum rerum per loca et vocabula ad ipsam curtem et capellam seu silvam pertinentibus in inte­grum. Coheret itaque ad suprascriptam curtem: a mane terra sancti Petri de suprascripta civitate Mantue atque sancti Rufini, a meridie flumen, quod dicitur Lario, a sera armania et terra sancti Petri, similiter a montibus fossa, que vocatur Fornicata, et item flumen, quod dicitur Mintius et quod est lacus. Quam autem suprascriptam curtem domuscultilis cum iam dicta capella seu rebus omnibus ad ea pertinentibus iuris nostri supradictis, una cum acessionibus et ingressibus seu cum superioribus et inferioribus suis, qualiter supra legitur, in integrum ab hac die in eodem monasterio donamus, cedimus, conferrimus et per presentem cartulam offersionis ibidem ad habendum confirmamus. Insuper per cultellum, fistucam nodatam, wantonem et wasonem terre seu ramum arboris ad partem ipsius monasterii legitimam facimus traditionem et investituram, et nos exinde foras expulsas warpivimus et absentes nos facimus et ad ipsius monasterii proprietatem habendum relinquimus, faciendum exinde pars ipsius monasterii iure proprietario nomine, quicquid voluerit, eo tamen ordine, sicut superi­us legitur, sine omni nostra, que supra matris et filie, et heredum ac proheredum nostrorum contradictione vel repetitione. Equidem espondimus atque promittimus nos que supra mater et filia una cum nostris heredibus ac proheredibus parti ipsius monasterii suprascriptam offersionem, qualiter superius leguntur, in integrum ab omni contradicente homine defensare. Quod si defendere non potuerimus aut si vobis exinde aliquid per quodvis ingenium subtrahere quesierimus, tunc in duplum eandem offersionem, qualiter superius legitur, in integrum parti ipsius monasterii restituamus, sicut pro tempore fuerit meliorata aut valuerit sub exstimatione in consimili loco, eo tamen ordine, quod suprascriptus abbas vel sui successores aut episcopus, qui nunc episcopio Mantuanensis ecclesie preesse videtur, vel illorum suc­cessores non habeant licentiam nec potestatem per ullumvis ingenium nullamque ocasionem, quod fieri potest, easdem res vendendi, donandi, comutandi seu per titulum emphiteosis alienandi atque per libellum seu per beneficium atque alio modo nisi per libellum in minoribus personis ob redditum faciendum in usum et sumptum vel in familia ipsius monasterii et abbatis seu monachorum, qui nunc sunt vel postea ordinati fuerint in eodem monasterio. Et si contra hoc factum fuerit, deveniant suprascripte res in potestate suprascriptarum matris et filie vel heredum ac proheredum illarum, donec hec omnia ad suprascriptum usum redeant. Insuper usumfructum et dominationem ipsius silve in nos reservamus, donec insimul vel separatim vixerimus, nisi quod supradictus abbas vel sui successores de predicta silva tantum habeant ad suum usum et ad suos porcos et suorum rusticorum depascendos. Si quis vero, quod futurum esse non credo, si nos que supra Beatrix atque Matilda, mater et filia, quod absit, aut ullus de heredibus ac  proheredibus seu quelibet oposita persona contra hanc cart(ul)am offersionis ire quandoque temptaverimus aut eam per quodvis ingenium infrangere quesierimus, tunc inferamus ad illam partem, contra quam exinde litem intulerimus, multam, que est pena auri optimi untias quinquaginta, arigenti pondera octoginta.  Et quod repetierimus, vendicare non valeamus, sed presens hec cart(ul)a offersionis diuturnis temporibus firma permaneat atque persistat inconvulsa cum stipulatione subnixa.  Et pergamenam cum atramentario de terra elevavimus, hanc enim cat(ul)am offersionis mee pagine Iohanni iudici sacri palacii tradidi et scribere rogavi, in qua hic subter confirmans testibusque obtulit ad roborandam. Actum suprascripta civitate Mantua, feliciter.
Signa +++ manuum Algisonis seu Razonis atque Crescentii lege Salica viventium rogati testes.
Signa  ++++ manuum Rogerii de Regio civitate seu Pagani de Corsena seu Ingonis atque Beati de Fornicata testium.
Ego qui supra Johannes palatinus iudex scriptor huius cart(ul)e offersionis post traditam complevi et dedi.

Historical context:

This document of donation includes a legal formula of symbols used in property transfers:  the knife signifies severance of property from previous owner, as does the knotted straw, the knots making the symbol unusable in another transaction, therby rendering the transaction irrecoverable; the glove represents the transfer of legal right, the stick and clump of earth represent the property being transferred, see Arnoud-Jan Bijsterveld, Do ut Des:  Gift Giving, Memoria and Conflict Management in the Medieval Low Countries (Hilversum: Verloren, 2007).  In the law of real property, the transfer of a twig or clod of dirt was “livery of seisin” constituted symbolic delivery of the right of legal possession or ownership of land.  The formula is also used in documents of Bertha of the Obertenghi, Immilla of Turin, Adelaide of Turin and Susa and Adelaide of Burgundy. 
On the signatories of this first “diploma” of Matilda and Beatrice, see Penelope Nash, Empress Adelheid and Countess Matilda:  Medieval Female Rulership and  the Foundations of European Society (NY:  Palgrave Macmillian, 2017), 40-41, who also notes that Beatrice and Matilda came under Salic law by their marriages to their Lotharingian husbands; Beatrice's first marriage to Matilda's father Boniface would have placed both under Lombard law.

Scholarly notes:

• An ancient Roman unit of land area equal to 28,800 square Roman feet or 0.622 acre.
  **   A right, susceptible of assignment and of descent, charged on productive real estate, the right being coupled with the enjoyment of the property on condition of taking care of the estate and paying taxes and sometimes a small rent (Wikipedia).

Printed source:

Die Urkunden und Briefe der Markgräfin Mathilde von Tuszien, ed. Elke Goez and Werner Goez, MGH (Hannover,:  Hahnsche Buchhandlung, 1998), #1, 31-35.

Date: