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A papal letter of exemption from fees

Sender

Pope Alexander IV

Receiver

Salomea of Little Poland

Translated letter:

Alexander bishop, servant of the servants of God.  To his beloved daughters in Christ, sister Salomea, formerly queen of Galicia and the other sisters of the monastery of St. Clare in Zawichost of the order of St. Damian, diocese of Kraków, greetings and apostolic benediction.  The integrity of your religion, loving in the sincere charity of the lord, deserves that we favorably receive your petitions to the grace of a hearing.  Thus, bending to your entreaties, we indulge you in the presents that you are not able to perform some procurements or other monetary exactions by the legates and nuncios of the apostolic see, or be compelled to contribute in some way to them by letters of that see without special mandate of said see, making full and expressed mention of this indulgence.  Therefore no one at all is permitted to break this page of our concession, or oppose it by bold daring.  If anyone should presume to attempt this, he should know that he will incur the indignation of almighty God and the blessed apostles Peter and Paul.  Given/dated at the Lateran, 3 nones of April, in the third year of our pontificate.

Original letter:

Alexander episcopus seruus seruorum dei. Dilectis in christo filiabus Sorori Salomee, quondam Regine Galitie, ac alijs Sororibus Monasterij sancte Clare in Zauichost ordinis sancti Damiani, Cracouiensis diocesis, Salutem et apostolicam benedictionem.  Religionis uestre meretur honestas, ut uos sincera diligentes in domino caritate, petitiones uestras ad exauditionis gratiam fauorabiliter admittamus.  Hinc est, quod nos uestris supplicationibus inclinati, Auctoritate uobis presentium indulgemus, ut ad exhibendas aliquas procurationes seu exactiones alias pecuniarias Legatis et nuntijs sedis apostolice, uel ad contribuendum in eis compelli per litteras ipsius sedis aliquatenus non possitis, absque dicte sedis speciali mandato, faciente plenam et expressam de indulto huiusmodi mentionem.  Nulli ergo omnino hominum liceat hanc paginam nostre concessionis infringere uel ei ausu temerario contraire.  Si quis autem hoc attemptare presumpserit, indignationem omnipotentis dei et beatorum Petri et Pauli Apostolorum eius se nouerit incursurum.  Datum Laterani III Nonas Aprilis, Pontificatus nostrj Anno Tertio.

 

Historical context:

The pope releases Salomea and the sisters of her monastery at Zawichost from fees they were held to pay to representatives of the papacy.

Printed source:

Kodeks dyplomatyczny Małopolski, vol. 1: 1178-1386,  Monumenta Medii Aevi Historica Res Gestas Polonii Illustrantia Tomus III continet: Codicem Diplomaticum Poloniae Minoris, 1178-1386 , ed. Franciszek Piekosiński (Kraków: Akademia Umiejętności/Academia Literarum Craoviensis, 1876),  no.47, p.57.

Date:

1257, April 3