A letter of donation

Translated letter:

Let it come to the notice of all how we, Bernard of Pilis and my wife Saurina and Berengar Compan, brother of said Bernard, give and hand over in perpetuity to you, our lord Alfonso, by the grace of God king of Aragon, count of Barcelona and marquis of Provence, and to the venerable Sancha, your wife, by that same grace queen of those places, the  castrum of Torlanda, which in ancient times was called Segura, with all its boundaries, holdings, and appurtenances which pertain and ought to pertain to that  castrum, namely with the lands deserted and populated.  These are said  castrum with its tower and homes, cultivated and uncultivated lands, forests, undeveloped lands, meadows, pastures, waters, waterways, woods, timberlands, trees of different kinds.  These are all in the county of Barcelona, within the boundaries of our  castrum of Monte Claro, in a place called Torlanda, in ancient time Segura.  The aforesaid came to us by the authority of our parents and in other ways.  Said  castrum with all the aforesaid abuts:  in the east the boundary of Benviure and the hill of Malaguait, in the south the border of Cugul as it begins from that hill of Malaguait and descends through that range by a straight line to the little midway port/gate (portella) of Rocafort and continues to the Guard of Ermemir; on the side of the northwest the boundary of Conesa in the Guard of Tresaric as the waters run towards aforesaid Torlanda.  Whatever these 4 abutments include and the boundaries surround, we give to you, our said lords, in perpetuity by clear allod.  We give said  castrum with everything it has and was named above, with its boundaries, namely, and holdings and appurtenances, as can best be said and understood, to the use of you and yours and to doing all your will, and hand over all the aforesaid into your lordship and power by our right by free and clear allod to be held and possessed in perpetuity, as is written above.  If one wished to break this, let him pay double what he would break and moreover it will remain firm for all time.  This was enacted on the 3rd ides of October in the 1178th year of the Lord’s incarnation.  Sig+num of Bernard of Pilis.  Sig+num  of Saurina, his wife. Sig+num of Berengar of Pilis, brother of said Bernard.  Sig+num of Berengar Compan.  We who make this donation, sign and ask that it be signed by witnesses written below.  (et al)  Miro, judge.

Original letter:

Ad noticiam cunctorum perveniat qualiter nos Bernardus de Pilis et uxor mea Saurina et Berengarius Compan, consanguineus dicti Bernardi, donamus ac in perpetuum tradimus vobis, domno nostro Ildefonso, Dei gracia regi Aragonensium, comiti Barchinonensi et Provincie marchioni, ac venerabili Sancie, uxori vestrc, eadem gracia eorumdem locorum regine, castrum de Turlanda, quod ab antiquis temporibus vocabatur Segura, cum omnibus terminis, tenedonibus et pertinenciis suis que eidem castro pertinent et pertinere debent, cum eremis, scilicet, terris et populatis. Sunt autem, hec, castrum iam dictum cum turre et domibus suis, terre culte et ereme, silve, garrice, prata, pascue, aque, aquarum vieductus et reductus, ligna, lignearia, arbores diversorum generum. Sunt hec omnia in comitatu Barchinonensi, infra terminos castri nostri de Monte Claro, in loco nominato Turlanda, ab antiquo tempore Segura. Advenerunt nobis iam dicta voce genitorum nostrorum et aliismodis vocibus. Affrontat autem, predictum castrum cum iam dictis omnibus : ab oriente in termino de Benviure et in podio de Malaguait, a meridie in termino de Cugul sicuti incipit a podio ipso de Malaguait et descendit per ipsam serram recta linea usque ad portellam miianam de Rocafort et pervadit usque ad Guardiam de <Ermemir>,  a parte, vero, circii in ermino de Conesa sive in Guardia de Tresarie sicuti acque discurrunt versus Turlandam iam dictam.  Quantum iste IIII affrontaciones includunt et termini ambiunt, sic donamus vobis, dominis nostris iam dictis, et in perpetuum per alodium francum.  Tradimus predictum castrum cum omnibus in se habentibus et superius nominatis, cum terminis, scilicet, et tenedonibus et pertinenciis suis, ut melius dici vel intelligi potest, ad vestram vestrorumque utilitatem et ad faciendas omnes inde vestras voluntates, ac de nostra iure in vestrum tradimus dominium et potestatem iam dicta omnia per alodium francum et liberum in perpetuum habendum et possidendum, sicut superius scriptum est. Si quis hoc infringere voluerit, in duplo componat que fregerit, et insuper hoc omni tempore permaneat firmum. Actum est hoc III idus octobris anno Dominice incarnacionis MCLXXVIII.   Sig+num Bernardi de Pilis. Sig+num Saurine, uxoris eius. Sig+num Berengarii de Pilis, fratris dicti Bernardi. Sig+num Berengarii Compan. Nos qui hanc donacionem facimus, firmamus et a testibus inferius scriptis firmari rogamus. Sig+num Raimundi de Mulnellis. Sig+num Berengarii de Villafranca. Sig+num Raimundi de Aquilone. Sig+num Guilielmi de Lavanza. Sig+num Bernardi de Mecina. Sig+num Arnalli de Mataron. Mironis, iudicis. 

Historical context:

Bernard with his wife and brother donate their holdings in Torlanda inherited from their parents to the king and queen, who will return them as a fief (Epistolae 26383.html).  A  castrum is an administrative unit with a fortification/castle at the center.

Printed source:

Liber Feudorum Maior (LFM), ed. Francisco Miquel Rosell, (Barcelona, 1945) 1.286-87 #262 . 

Date: