A letter from Constance of Hungary (1233)

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and individual trinity amen. Constance, by the grace of God queen of the Bohemians, to the monastery of Hradiste of the Premonstratentian order and to the ministers of God living there perpetually. Since it is fitting that royal excellence be venerated and promote the holy church in all things, it seemed to our mercy that that should be begun and carried out which would yield to our serenity and carry over to the merit and advantage of the holy mother church. For benefits are rightly placed where merits grow, favor is fittingly experienced where glory is filled with rewards. So let the present as well as future know that with the consent of our son Wenceslas, illustrious fourth king of the Bohemians, we have received under our care and protection, as we properly should, the area called Kigow with all its vast possessions either acquired or being acquired from our kindness and the generosity of our successors in that place, in the province of Breclav, a site belonging to us, and conferred with the affection of our favor those freedoms which are written below, for the salvation of the soul of our husband Otakar, king of the Bohemians of celebrated memory, and out of reverence for the house of Hradiste whose goods they are. This is the freedom which we have established to be observed from our piety, namely that all towns and possessions which the aforementioned church possesses in the said area or shall possess afterwards, are absolved from every burden of tribute, tax (vectigalium), or other kinds of exaction, either due to the prince or to vassals, however they are now named; adding that no prince of our successors, or baron of those subject to us or to them, may dare to disturb the men of said area for the building or rebuilding of castles or any aggressive expedition. The right however, which is given over life (pro capite), we grant to them; establishing this about theft/robbery: if anyone inhabiting their possessions is caught in obvious theft/robbery or accused of [doing it in] secret, clearly in respect to judgment of glowing iron or water or walking on blades or duels, and is convicted in any of these by secular judgment, the good from the theft or action would remain completely with the monastery; the judges, however, who are involved, may do with him what seems just to them. If however men of that monastery are found guilty before judges nothing useful may arise for us or our court judges or vassals, but satisfaction for the fault remains with the monastery except in what must be made good to the adversary. Otherwise, that we may cover everything briefly, any utility which looks to our use or vassals enfeoffed by us, we remit to them to enjoy with full freedom. We have also established that no chamberlain may enter the towns of the monastery to summon anyone, but must notify the proctor of that house to whom the abbot with the brothers has committed care for temporal matters, so that he may have them summoned who are to be summoned, that he assign them [to appear] in a specified place before judges who are concerned with treating and defining the cases and affairs of our kingdom. If, however, anyone should put violent hands on any religious person within the established confines of the monastery to dishonor someone there or take anything away by reckless boldness, let him clearly incur our penalty up to ten silver marks and let him repair the harm to the monastery completely. We also prohibit our hunters passing the night in the said confines of the area without the consent of the abbot and brothers, or committing any violence, and this under penalty of ten pounds of local money; adding also that if they should injure them, it is permitted to eject them from their homes. Moreover we have established that whatever nobles should injure them while they spend the night in the court of said area will incur our penalty for ten marks. We also add that the men of the said monastary crossing toll booths for things which pertain to the work of the church, bringing or conducting necessities to it, are absolved from travelers' tolls; merchants indeed may pay whatever their obligation is. For this freedom granted by us to said house, we have established our son Wenceslas defender, who confirmed this our petition by the force of his seal. And this also we wish to be manifest to all, that we have asked our venerable father Robert, bishop of Olomuc, that he excommunicate all who violate the immunity and freedom of said monastery conferred on it by our bounty; and it is done. This will similarly be without offense, if the aforesaid bishop and his successors punish transgressors of what we have established contained in this page according to ecclesiastical law. Dated at Tisnov in the year of grace 1233.

Original letter:

In nomine sancte et individue trinitatis amen. Constantia, dei gracia Boemorum regina, monasterio Gradicensi, Premonstratensis ordinis, et ministris dei ibi degentibus in perpetuum. Cum regalem deceat excellentiam venerari et promovere in omnibus sanctam ecclesiam nostre visum fuit clementie id initiari et exequi, quod nostre serenitati cederet ad meritum et sancte matris ecclesie transiret ad provectum. Ibi enim recte locantur beneficia, ubi crescunt merita, ibi decenter gratia impertitur ubi cum premiis cumulatur gloria. Noverint itaque tam presentes quam futuri, nos ex consensu filii nostri Wenceslai, illustris quarti regis Boemorum, circuitum nomine Kigow cum omnibus suis possessionibus, sive acquisitis sive acquirendis et a nostra benignitate nec non successorum nostrorum largitate eidem loco, in provincia Brezlauiensi ad nos pertinente sito, impensis, in nostram tutelam et protectionem, sicut merito debemus, recepisse istasque, que subscripte sunt, libertates pro salute anime mariti nostri Ottocari, inclyte memorie regis Boemorum, ac ob reverentiam domus Gradicensis, cuius bona sunt, cum affectu nostre gratie contulisse. Libertas autem hec est, quam a pietate nostra statuimus observari, scilicet omnes villas et possessiones, quas modo prelibata ecclesia in iam dicto circuitu possidet vel postea est possessura, ab omni onere tributorum, vectigalium, collectarum aliarumque exactionum, sive ad principem vel beneficiarios spectantium, quocunque modo nominentur, esse absolutas; adiicientes, ut nullus principum successorum nostrorum vel baronum, nobis vel eis subiectorum, pro castrorum edificatione vel reedificatione vel aliqua ingruenti expeditione homines prefati circuitus audeat inquietare. Ius autem, quod datur pro capite, eis concedimus; hoc de fure statuentes: si in eorum habitat possessionibus et deprehensus fuerit in furto manifesto, vel de aliquo occulto accusetur, videlicet quoad iudicium ferri candentis vel aque vel vomeres calcandos vel duelli, et convincatur in aliquo istorum in iudicio seculari, eidem monasterio bona furis sive rei integraliter remaneant; iudices autem, quorum interest, faciant de eo, quod iustum eis videbitur. Si autem homines eiusdem monasterii coram iudicibus culpabiles inveniantur, nec nobis nec iudicibus nostris curialibus vel beneficiariis aliquid inde utilitatis proveniat, sed apud idem cenobium culpe perseveret satisfactio, nisi in eo, in quo tenetur satisfacere suo adversario. Ceterum ut omnia breviter comprehendamus, omnem utilitatem, que spectat ad usus nostros vel beneficiarios a nobis infeudatos, eis remittimus, ut plena gaude aut libertate. Statuimus etiam, ut nullus camerarius intret villas monasterii ad citandum aliquem, sed significet procuratori domus illius, cui abbas cum fratribus commisit procurationem in temporalibus, ut eos citari faciat, qui sunt citandi, quatenus in loco determinato eos coram iudicibus statuat, quorum interest causas et negotia regni nostri tractare et diffinire. Si quis autem alicui persone religiose, infra septa monasterii constitute, manus iniecerit violentas ad aliquem ibi dehonestandum vel aliquid inde abstulerit ausu temerario, manifeste bannum nostrum quoad decem marcas argenti incurrat et monasterium dampnis, suis resarcitis, in totidem contentet. Prohibemus etiam, ne venatores nostri in sepe dicto circuitu sine abbatis et fratrum consensu pernoctent vel aliquid ibi inferant violentie, et hoc sub pena decem librarum monete provincialis; id etiam addentes, quod si extiterint eis iniuriosi, liceat eis ipsos de domibus suis elicere. Insuper statuimus, quod quicumque nobilium in prefati circuitus curiis pernoctando eidem iniuriosi extiterint, bannum nostrum in decem marcis incurrant. Adiecimus etiam, ut homines prefati cenobii per telonea transeuntes in rebus, que spectant ad opus ecclesie, ad eam in necessitatibus eius deferendis vel transducendis, sint a pedagiis et theloneis absoluti; mercatores vero solvant, quod sui iuris est. Huius autem libertatis a nobis concesse prefate domui filium nostrum Wencezlaum defensorem constituimus, qui eandem ad petitionem nostram sui sigilli munimine roboravit. Et hoc etiam omnibus volumus esse manifestum, quod venerabilem patrem nostrum Robertum, Olomucensem episcopum, rogavimus, ut omnes, qui prefati monasterii violarent immunitatem et libertatem, eidem a nostra munificentia collatam, excommunicaret; quod et factum est ab eodem. Istud similiter absque offensa nostra erit, si prefatus episcopus et eius successores nostrarum constitutionum in hac pagina contentarum secundum ecclesiastica iura punierint transgressores. Datum in Thusnow anno gratie MCCXXXIII.

Historical context:

Constance takes the area of a monastery with all its possessions under her protection, granting it certain freedoms from taxes and tolls and specifying legal jurisdictions over crimes committed there.

Printed source:

Codex Diplomaticus et Epistolarius Regni Bohemiae, ed. Gustavus Friederich (Prague: 1942), 3.1.59-61, ep.57.

Date:

1233