A letter from Constance of Hungary (1233, January 21)

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy trinity. Let it be known to all who see this page in the present as well as the future, that I Constance, by the grace of God queen of Bohemia, with my son Premysl, by that same grace marquis of Moravia, for the good of our souls and those of our predecessors, confer the land belonging to the castrum of Novy Hradek in the town called Drozdovice on the devout/devoted virgins serving Christ at the church of St. Peter in Olomuc to possess by hereditary right peacefully in perpetuity. [We] grant freedom fully and absolutely to the poor residing on their farm in said town which they long ago conferred on the bishopric of Olomuc. We did this with the noble man Albert who then held the castrum of Novy Hradek, to whom the land belonged by reason of that castrum, he being present and offering benevolent consent and favor to our grant. And so that our charity may remain stable and certain, we had this charter confirmed by the reinforcement of our seals. Witnesses to this are: Woch chamberlain, Holach prefect of the city (purcravius), Preborn judge; Onex, Semizlas, Spitata, Slavata, Mztata, castellans of Olomuc, John deacon, Radozlaus archdeacon of Olomuc, Moyses archdeacon of Brezlav, Nicholas archdeacon of Brno, Alexius and Henry, canons of Olomuc. Enacted in Olomuc, 12th kalends of February, in the 1233rd year of the lord's incarnation.

Original letter:

In nomine sancte trinitatis. Notum sit universis tam presentibus quam futuris presentem paginam ispecturis, quod ego Constancia, dei gracia regina Boemie, et Premizl filius meus, eadem gracia marchio Morauie, mecum pro remedio animarum nostrarum et predecessorum nostrorum devotis virginibus circa ecclesiam sancti Petri in Olomuc Christo famulantibus terram ad castrum Gradecense pertinentem in willa, que dicitur Drozdowic, contulimus iure hereditario in perpetuum pacifice possidendam; pauperibus super fundum earumdem in predicta willa residentibus eandem, quam wille Olomucensi episcopatui antiquitus collate habent, plene et absolute indulgentes libertatem. Hec autem fecimus Alberto nobili viro, qui tunc castrum Gradecense tenebat, et ad quem racione castri dicta terra pertinebat, existente presente et huic nostre collacioni benivolum prebente consensum et favorem. Et ut nostra elemosina stabilis et rata permaneat, presentem cartam sigillorum nostrorum munimine fecimus roborari. Huius rei testes sunt: Woch camerarius, Holach purcravius, Prebor iudex; Ones, Semizlaus, Spitata, Slauata, Mztata castellani Olomucenses, Johannes decanus, Radozlus archidiaconus Olomucensis, Moyses archidiaconus Brecizlauiensis, Nicolaus archidiaconus Brunensis, Alexius, Henricus, canonici Olomucenses. Actum in Olomuc XII kalendas februarii, anno dominice incarnacionis millesimo CCXXXIII.

Historical context:

The queen and her son make a gift of land to the nuns. A castrum is an administrative unit with a castle at its center.

Printed source:

Codex Diplomaticus et Epistolarius Regni Bohemiae, ed. Gustavus Friederich (Prague: 1942), 3.1.27-28, ep.29.

Date:

1233, January 21