A letter from Beatrice of Savoy (1260)

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and indivisible trinity, father, son, and holy spirit, amen. What is made in time lest it lapse in time, is put in the language of witnesses or preserved by witness of writing, therefore let all present and future know that we Beatrice, widow of lord Raymond Berengar of renowned memory, count of Provence, wishing to prepare for the day of final judgment with works of piety and mercy to disseminate on earth by the understanding of eternal matters what we can harvest as multiple fruit in heaven with God willing, expecting that who sows in blessings and reaps eternal life from blessings, thus for the remedy and salvation of our soul and that of our mother of happy memory, lady N [M] and the aforesaid lord count and our ancestors or predecessors to the praise and glory of god almighty and of the glorious virgin Mary and of St. John and all the saints on the part of the treasure committed to us, disposing and commanding we have ordered to be observed inviolably in perpetuity as is contained below. We give with mind and concede with irrevocable will to the hospital of St. John of Jerusalem and lord Ferrand of Verracio, major preceptor of the hospital overseas to receive in the name of said hospital, the castrum, high and low jurisdiction, rule and signory of Les Eschelles of the Grenoble diocese and its territory or district with all the appurtenances and all revenues, fruits or rents and appendages, either in knights, squires, or whatever other men, or in homes, lands, fields, and other possessions or holdings, ovens, mills, woods, pastures, forests or willow-groves, waters, banks, moorings [ripaticis], fishing sites, hauling tracks, hunting sites, laudimia,* trentals [trentenis], bans, justices [justiciis], rents, banns, taxes [taliis, questis], markets, market-dues [ledis], and all other whatsoever according as in whatever way or by name we have, hold and possess or ought to hold and possess or are seen to have, except those that belong to the Carthusian house and its brothers on whom we intend to lay no prejudice nor in such a donation to include whatever they might hold or possess or will have held or possessed in the house and seignory of the castrum of Les Echelles and its territory or mandate or districts. We give, I say, and concede by such suitable condition and manner that in said place there may be a house and church where thirteen priests and two deacons and three clerics live and are maintained by the aforesaid revenues and others which, with the lord giving, they can justly acquire in the future, and serve the lord continuously in divine offices there in perpetuity and they may be from the brothers of said hospital if they can be found, otherwise others would substitute as required up to said number and suitable to do ecclesiastical service. We add, moreover, that each priest must specially celebrate once a week a mass of St. Mary, as long as we live, and after our death, a mass of the dead, for the salvation of our soul. Again we add, as strongly as we can that we especially and expressly prohibit the transfer of said castle with its appurtenances specified herein and all things in whole or in part or the sale or alteration or donation or any other kind of alienation to another or others, nor that it be subject to any rule except the rule of the county of Savoy, if this should proceed from the free will of the brothers of that hospital. We wish also, we dispose and order that the hospital of the poor with its appurtenances that we propose to make or construct in that place, the lord willing, belong to them and they give alms and maintain it as we dispose for the sustenance of the poor and miserable persons, with god's favor, promising for us and ours to that said preceptor receiving in the name of the hospital and solemnly stipulating to hold the aforesaid donation firm and to observe it inviolably and not to contravene it while the priests, deacons, and clerics mentioned are kept there as expressed above, renouncing every right of notification beyond a certain sum and every canonic or legal right by which we could ourselves or through another or others contravene it with any stratagem or reason and especially the right if it exist by which a general renuntiation is not valid.

And we, Ferrand, the aforesaid preceptor receiving in the name of said hospital the manner or condition appointed and accepted with certain premised burdens the chapel of La Buisse of that diocese with all the rents pertaining to it as pertains to the hospital of St. John of Jerusalem or ought to pertain, we accept by the council of our said brothers and we annex it in perpetuity for the greater sustenance of such persons. Promising in the name of said house to aforesaid lady, solemnly stipulating priests, deacons and clerics mentioned before with other persons necessary to the utility of that lady and the suitable service of said persons to hold there continuously with our brothers or others sufficient for the things mentioned and suitable to the service of Jesus Christ and the salvation of that lady and her ancestors. Promising her as above that we will do and take care in good faith that the major preceptor and content of the aforesaid hospital overseas praise, approve, and accept all the aforesaid and by testimony of their letters they seal and confirm to the greater strength in perpetual corroboration. Enacted at Les Eschelles in our court/hall in the year of the lord 1260, 6th ides of November in the sixth year of the pontificate of lord Alexander IV, pope. There were present the venerable fathers D.M. John of Vienne, H. bishop of Verdun, P. bishop of Sens, Ph. elected bishop of Lyon. Also present on that day were brother William of Chenella, brother Arnaud Ausasica, brother Oddo and brother Martin, chaplains, brother Ribald of Puy, Michael Aymo Charena, Peter of Chenellu/Chevelu, and many others. In perpetual strength of which thing we, said B. and said preceptor had our seals affixed to the presents in witness of the truth lest any mentioned service be defrauded or alms withdrawn in the future. And as we are concerned for each and all the aforesaid perpetually, we both strongly wish and consent that the bishop of Grenoble who[ever] it will be at that time may constrain and correct to fitting emendation whatever he sees and knows is in contravention and must be corrected.

Original letter:

In nomine sancte et individue trinitatis, patris et filii et spiritus sancti, amen. Que in tempore fiunt ne labantur cum tempore poni solent in lingua testium aut scripture testimonio perhampnari, ea propter noverint universi presentes et posteri quod nos Beatrix relicta inclite recordationis domini Raymondi Berengarii comitis Provincie diem extremi examinis cupientes pietatis et misercordie operibus prevenire hac (sic) eternarum intuitu seminare in terris quod multiplicatu fructu in celis deo propicio recolligere valeamus, actendentes quod qui seminat in benedictionibus de benedictionibus et metet vitam eternam, sic in remedium et salutem anime nostre ac felicis memorie domine N (?) matris nostre et domini comitis ante dicti et progenitorum seu predecessorum nostrorum ad laudem et gloriam dei omnipotentis et gloriose virginis Marie ac beati Johannis et sanctorum omnium de parte talenti nobis crediti duximus ordinandum disponentes et inviolabiliter observari precipientes in perpetuum prout inferius continetur. Donamus igitur pura mente et irrevocabili voluntate concedimus hospitali Sancti Joannis Jherosolimitani et domino Ferrando de Verracio maiori preceptori hospitalis citra mare recipienti nomine prefati hospitalis, castrum, jurisditionem merum imperium sive mixtum et dominium et seignoriam de Scalis Gratianopolitanensis diocesis et territorii sui sive destrictus cum pertinentiis et universis proventibus, fructibus seu redditibus et aliis appendentiis sive in militibus domicellis vel aliis hominibus quisbuscumque, sive in domibus terris pratis et aliis possessionibus seu tenementis, furnis, molendinis, nemoribus, pascuis, silvis vel salicibus, aquis ripis ripaticis, piscationibus, tractis, venationibus, laudimiis et trentenis bannis justiciis censibus, servitiis taliis sive questis mercatis ledis et omnibus aliis quidbuscumque quocumque modo vel nomine conseantur prout nos habemus tenemus et possidemus aut habere tenere et possidere debemus vel vise sumus habere, exceptis hiis que ad domum cartusientium et fratres eius pertinent quibus nullum intendimus preiudicium gravare nec in donatione huiusmodi concludere quoad aliqua que teneant et possideant aut tenuerint seu possiderint in domo et seignoria castri de Scalis et territorii seu mandamenti et destrictus eiusdem, donamus inquam et concedimus tali modo et conditione appositis ut in dicto loco fiat domus et ecclesia ubi habitent et teneantur per ipsum hospitale tresdecim sacerdotes et duo diaconi et tres clerici de proventibus supradictis et aliis que dante domino juste poterunt acquirere in futurum, qui predicti domino continue in divinis officiis ibidem perpetuo famulentur et sint de fratribus dicti hospitalis si reperiri poterunt alioquin alii subrogentur usque ad dictum numerum sufficientes et idonei ad servicium ecclesiasticum faciendum addicimus insuper unusquisque sacerdotum semel in ebdomada quam diu vixerimus unam missam de beata Maria et post decessum nostrum unam mortuorum pro salute anime nostre specialiter debeant celebrare iterum addicimus et specialiter et expressim quanto carius possumus inhibemus ut predictum castrum cum pertinentiis subscriptis universis et singulis in toto vel in parte nec venditionis nec permutationis nec donationis nec aliquovis alienationis genere in alium vel alios transferatur nec alicuius submittatur dominio preterquam dominio comitatus Sabaudie si de fratrum ipsius hospitalis gratuita forte procedit voluntate. Volumus etiam, ordinamus et precipimus quod hospitale pauperum cum pertinentiis suis quod in eodem loco facere seu contruere proponimus domino annuente subsit eis et elemosinam faciant et manuteneant prout nos ad sustentationem egenorum et miserabilium personarum deo propicio disponimus, promittentes per nos et nostros eidem preceptori nomine dicto hospitalis recipienti et solempniter stipulanti predictam donationem firmam tenere ac inviolabiliter observare et contra non venire dummodo sacerdotes diaconi et clerici memorati teneantur ibidem prout superius est expressum, renuntiantes omni juri de insinuatione ultra certam sommam loquenti omnique juri canonico vel legali per quod contravenire per nos vel alium, aut alios possemus aliquo ingenio vel aliqua ratione et specialiter juri si quod est per quod generalis renuntiatio non valet hanc itaque donationem nos Ferrandus preceptor predictus recipientes nomine hospitalis predicti et modum seu conditionem appositum et appositam cum premissis ceteris honeribus acceptantes domum et cappellam de Bussia eiusdem diocecis cum pertinentiis suis reddetibus universis prout ad hospitale sancti Johannis Jherosolimitani pertinet seu pertinere debet dictorum fratrum nostrorum consilio applicamus in perpetuum et annectimus ad maiorem sustentationem huiusmodi personarum. Promittentes nomine dicte domus prefate domine solemniter stipulanti sacerdotes, diacones et clericos ante dictos cum aliis personis necessariis et ad utilitatem illius domine et dictarum personarum servitium opportunum continue ibi tenere tam de fratribus nostris quam de aliis ad premissa sufficientibus et idoneis ad Jhesu Christi servitium et ad ipsius domine suorumque progenitorum salutem Promittentes eidem ut supra nos facturos et curaturos bona fide quod maior magister et conventus hospitalis predicti de ultra mare predicta omnia laudent approbent et acceptent et sub suarum testimonio literarum sigillent et confirment ad maiorem perpetui corroboris firmitatem. Actum apud Scalas in aula nostra anno domini milesimo ducentesimo sexagesimo sexto idus novembris pontificatus domini Alexandri pape quarti anno sexto. Interfuerunt venerabiles patres D.M. Johannes viennensis H. everdunensis episcopi P. seisiensis episcopus Ph. lugdunensis electus Iterum eadem die interfuerunt ad id frater Guillermo de chenella frater Arnaudus ausasica frater Oddo et fratre martino capellani frater ribaudus de podio michaelle aymo Charena petrus de chenellu et plures alii In cuius rei perpetuam firmitatem nos dicta B. et nos dictus preceptor sigila nostra presentibus appendi fecimus in testimonium veritatis ne ut servitium defraudetur predictum nec ve in posterum helemosina subtrahatur. Et ut predicta universa et singula perpetuo firmiter attendamus, volumus ambo et consentimus ut episcopus gratianopolitanensis quod pro tempore fuerit hoc constringat et usque ad emendam congruam compellat quoscumque viderit contravenientes noverit compellendos.

Historical context:

Beatrice makes her donation for the building of the hospital with certain provisions/conditions, which are accepted and confirmed by the preceptor of the hospital. A castrum is an administrative unit with a castle at the center.

Scholarly notes:

* Laudimium is money paid regularly by one who receives a fief.

Manuscript source:

Vidimus of 1562 in Archivi di Stato di Torino (duchy of Savoy, Liasse 6 #1b).

Printed source:

Francisque Viard, Beatrice de Savoye (Lyon: L'Echo de Savoie, 1942) 114-18, document #13.

Date:

1260