A confirmation of immunities and donations
Sender
Boleslaw VGremislava of Lutsk
Receiver
PublicTranslated letter:
In the name of the lord Jesus Christ. Amen. We Boleslaw, by the grace of God duke of Kraków and Sandomierz, together with our mother the duchess by name Gremislava, widow of duke Leszek, [we] offer pious and easy consent to the just requests of the religious that, at the request of our venerable father Prandota, bishop of Kraków and for holy respect which for the good of religion we have to the convent of Clara Tumba of the Cistercian order of the diocese of Kraków, we make the men in that community and in Prandozin and Sandovic with their appurtenances, which is called Vrocizir, and stretching to other towns in Bogucin, free and immune from the protection of castles and foreign expeditions which might arise for whatever reason; indeed for the defense of the land of the Kraków diocese, since we do not act against the opinions of the fathers, we wish that should necessity arise they might be deployed as much for our honor as for their own benefit, adding moreover that the men from the abovementioned towns should be judged by noone except the said prince or palatine or castellan of Kraków. Moreover they are not compelled to pay the toll which is called strosa,* nor lead the prevod unless military, namely wheat and flours, fresh meats and similarly fresh fish, and captured prisoner with iron shackles and gold. Those rights which the great Prandota held in the abovenamed Prandocin, the abbot of said monastery will hold and use in all things, namely the right of water and staff (baculis).
These were enacted in Kraków, in the thousand twohundred fortythird year of the Lord, first indiction, 15th day from the end of July, in the presence of the venerable man Fulco, archbishop of Gniezno, and lord Prandota, bishop of Kraków, [provost Vito], patron of said monastery, Vito, provost of Kraków, Pacoslaw senior, castellan of Sandomierz, Clement, palatine of Kraków, Michael, castellan of Kraków, Sando, castellan of Wislica, Witgo, castellan of Sandec/ Nowy Sącz, Nicholas castellan of Beic, Adam, Pribislaw son of Lawrence, Sulco son of Sunislaw, John, judge of the court, Sidslaw of Grodna, Thomas Mezdiza, Peter subordinate judge, Peter sub- butler, Pribislaw, nephew/grandson of Gregorius, Paulo Gorca, Ghar, chamberlain of the archbishop, and several other knights. And to ensure faith among those present and future, we have ordered the present writing strengthened by the protection of our seal.
Original letter:
In nomine Domini nostri Iesu Christi. Amen. Nos Boleslaus, Dei gratia dux Cracoviae et Sudomiriae, una cum matre nostra ducissa nomine Grimizlaua, relicta ducis Lestconis, iustis religiosorum petitionibus pium ac facilem prebemus assensum in eo, quod ad instantiam venerabilis patris nostri Prandotae, Cracoviensis episcopi, nec non propter sanctum respectum, quem ob favorem religionis ad conventum de Clara Tumba ordinis Cisterciensis Cracoviensis diocesis habemus, homines suos ipsi coenobio et in Prandozin et in Sandouic cum suis pertinentiis, quae Vrocizir appellatur, et in Bogucin aliisque villis attinentes, a munitione castorum et expeditionibus extra terram, quae qualibet ex causa possent oriri, liberos reddimus et immunes; ad defensionem vero terrae Cracoviensis diocesis, quia contra opiniones patrum non facimus, volumus, ut, cum necessitas ingruerit, sint omnibus postpositis tam pro nostro honore, quam pro proprio commodo expediti, insuper adicientes, quod homines de villis supradictis a nemine iudicentur, praeterquam a praefato principe vel palatino vel castellano Cracoviensi. Praeterea exactionem, quae strosa appelatur, solvere non cogantur, et prevod non ducant, nisi militale, videlicet similam et ferinas carnes recentes, et pisces similiter recentes, et captivum ferreis compedibus compeditum et aurum. Iura vero, quae magnus Prandota in supradicto Prandocin tenuit, abbas supradicti coenobii in omnibus teneat et utatur, scilicet iure aquae et baculis. Acta autem sunt haec in Cracovia, anno Domini millesimo CCoXLIIIo, indictione prima, XVo die exeunte Iulio, praesentibus venerabili viro Fulcone, archiepiscopo Gnezdnensi, et domino Prandota, Cracoviensi episcopo, [Vito, praeposito], patrono supradicti coenobii, Vito, praeposito Cracoviensi, Pacoslao seniori, castellano Sudomiriensi, Clemente, palatino Cracoviensi, Michaele, castellano Cracoviensi, Sandone, castellano Vistliciensi, Witgone, castellano de Sandec, Nicholao, castellano de Beic, Adam, Pribislao, filio Laurentii, Sulcone, filio Sunislai, Iohanne, iudice curiae, Sdislao de Grodina, Thoma Mezdiza, Petro subiudice, Petro subpincerna, Pribislao, nepote Gregorii, Paulo Gorca, Ghar, camerario archiepiscopi, et aliis militibus quam pluribus. Et ad fidem praesentibus et futuris faciendam praesens scriptum sigilli nostri munimine iussimus roborari.
Historical context:
Boleslaw and his mother confirm donations and immunities granted to the Cistercian monastery at Mogiła, Clara Tumba, which was founded in 1222 by the bishop of Krakow. I am endebted to Natalia Zajac for alerting me to this document.
Scholarly notes:
*Piotr Górecki cites the Chronicle of Great Poland defining the stróza as a tax of one mesure of wheat and one of oats from a single plow … for the use of men in the castle guard, Economy, Society, and Lordship in Medieval Poland (New York: Holmes and Meier, 1992), 147.