A letter from Pope Alexander IV (1256)

Translated letter:

Alexander, bishop, etc. To his dearest daughter in Christ, the illustrious queen of the English, greetings and apostolic blessing. The injuries which are imposed on devoted children/sons of the church are very bitter and troubling to us; offenses visited on the faithful of the apostolic see greatly distress our heart. But we we grieve more for harm to those whose devotion has always served, whose sincerity has manifested itself to that see, because they deserved to be marked before others with the title of purity and be supported by that see with richer favor and raised in higher honors. We feel their grievances in us; when they are harmed, we taste the bitterness of their wounds. Truly, it came to our hearing not without bitterness of heart and tribulation of mind, that recently when the citizens of Asti were proceeding hostilely to lay waste the castle of Moncalieri, our beloved son, the noble count Thomas of Savoy, your uncle, who was in that castle at the time, left it to go to the city of Turin, hoping with the help of its citizens, especially his vassals, to hasten to the aid of said castle, which is known to be in his charge. But said citizens, as if scornful of divine fear and neglectful of their own reputation, having rashly violated the oath of fidelity by which they were strictly bound to said count, with the Astians instigating and giving aid, presumed wickedly to capture and detain him, not without notice of treason. And indeed the evil rumor had sharply wounded our innards with enormous sorrow; since it came the more sharply to our ears the dearer the person of the captive was to us. We are accordingly saddened, not unworthily, that a son whom we love especially among others, is held in such a way. We grieve, and it is no wonder, that the person of such a magnate, in whose sincere service we were confident, who growing stronger with assiduous devotion labored for the exaltation of said see with tireless solicitude fell into the hands of his betrayers and is held closely. For since we honor said count and his family with singular benevolence, since we have always preferred his house with deserved affection because of its devotion, we feel the pricks of his/its suffering more, we taste more fully the bitterness of his/its adversities. Why should his defeats not happen to us as to one near, that we immediately feel compassion to the sufferer; he can never be struck by the scourge of adversity but that we are not forthwith beaten by it. You should know that he committed his feelings to us and shared his own grief with us by bitter transfusion. Therefore we ask and urge your serenity assiduously that you have the persons and goods of the citizens of Turin and Asti seized in the lands subject to you, and held until said count is restored to his former freedom. Dated etc.

Original letter:

Alexander, episcopus, etc. Carissimae in Christo filiae, illustri reginae Anglorum, salutem et Apostolicam benedictionem. Nimis amarae nimiumque molestae sunt nobis injuriae, quae devotis ecclesiae filiis irrogantur; valde cor nostrum offensae fidelibus Apostolicae sedis illatae conturbant. Sed de illorum molestiis plus dolemus, quorum circa sedem ipsam sic semper devotio servivit claruitque sinceritas, quod inter alios puritatis titulo praesigniri meruerunt, et uberiori ab eadem sede fulciri favore et attoli honorificentia potiori. Horum namque gravamina ilico sentimus in nobis, qui mox cum laeduntur, degustamus suarum amaritudinem laesionum. Sane ad audientiam nostram non sine cordis amaritudine et mentis tribulatione pervenit, quod nuper Astensibus civibus ad depopulationem castri montis Calerii hostiliter praecedentibus, dilectus filius nobilis vir Thomas de Sabaudia comes, avunculus tuus, qui in eodem castro tunc temporis morabatur, recedens exinde, ad civitatem se transtulit Taurinensem, sperans cum auxilio civium civitatis ejusdem, suorum utique vassalorum, in succursu praedicti castri, quod ad eum spectare dinoscitur, properare. Sed dicti cives, tanquam contemptores divini timoris et famae propriae neglectores, fidelitatis juramento, quo praedicto comiti tenebantur astricti, temere violato, eisdem Astensibus procurantibus et ad id auxilium impendentibus, ipsum capere et detinere non sine proditionis nota nequiter praesumpserunt. Et quidem rumor jam sinister interiora nostra dolore immani acriter vulneravit; quia tanto venit auribus nostris acerbior, quanto detenti nobis carior est persona. Tristamur itaque, nec indigne, quod filius, quem inter alios praecipuo complectimur, taliter detinetur. Dolemus, nec mirum, quod tanti persona magnatis, de cujus sincero confidebamus obsequio, in manus suorum incidit proditorum arctiusque tenetur, qui devotione assidua invalescens ad praedictae sedis exaltationem indefessa sollicitudine laborabat. Cum enim praedictum comitem suumque genus singulari benivolentia prosequamur, cum ejusdem domum propter suae devotionis merita quodam semper affectu praetulerimus speciali, magis ex hoc suarum sentimus aculeos passionum, amplius ob id adversitatum ipsius amaritudinem delibamus. Quin immo sic proximo nos ejus detrimenta contingunt, quod ea patienti compatimur statim; sibi non potest unquam adversitatis flagello feriri, quin percutiamur protinus cum eodem. Scias quippe nobis affectiones commisit, propriosque dolores amara nobis [cum] transfusione partitur. Ideo serenitatem tuam rogandam attentius duximus et hortandam, quatinus personas et bona civium Taurinensium et Astensium, [in] terris tuae ditioni subjectis existentium, capi facias et tam diu detineri, donec praedictus comes restituatur pristinae libertati. [Datum, etc.]

Historical context:

In 1255, Thomas of Savoy, the queen's uncle, was captured by enemies in Turin while he was attacking Asti, and held for two years, while his family mobilized to raise the ransom. See Howell, 143 and E.L. Cox, The Eagles of Savoy, The House of Savoy in 13th century Europe (Princeton: Princeton University, 1974), 257. The pope, whose Sicilian crusade was seriously threatened by this situation, asks the queen to take action against the persons and goods of the offending cities. In this case, Matthew cites the letter to the queen and adds at the end that a similar letter was sent to the king ("Regi quoque consimilis epistola est transmissa").

Printed source:

Matthew Paris, Chronica Majora 5, 565-67

Date:

1256