A letter of sale

Sender

Sibilia

Receiver

Alfonso I of Aragon
Sancha of Castile, Queen of Aragon

Translated letter:

Be it known to all that I, Sibilia, with good spirit and ready will, sell to you, lord king Alfonso of Aragon and to your wife Sancha, by that same grace venerable queen of Aragon, my  castrum which is called castle Galin, with all its appurtenances and holdings, with cultivated and uncultivated lands, unpopulated and populated, with waters and mills, with pastures and timberlands and revenues (adempramentis), and with all that it has and that ought to pertain to it, with the seignory over soldiers and men living in it.  And I accept from you 250 good maravedi of gold for this sale, and I hand over said  castrum by my right into your lordship and power by free and unfettered allod to do your will and the will of your people there, without my retaining anything.  Said  castrum is in the county of Minorisa in a place called  castro Galin.  And that  castrum came to me by authority and grant of my mother Arsende and my relatives.  If anyone should attempt to break this sale, let him be bound to pay 500 Maravedis; and afterwards this sale will remain firm for all time.   This was enacted on the 15th kalends of January in the 1178th year of the lord.  Sig+num of Sibilia.  Sig+num of Eliesende, her sister.  Sig+num of Bernard, their brother, we who sign this sale, approve it and ask it to be signed by witnesses.  Sig+num of William of Guardia.  Sig+num of Peter d’Olon.  Sig+num of Bernard, vicar of Minorisa.  Sig+num of Peter, priest, his brother.  Sig+num of Raimond of Minorisa.  Sig+num of B. of Boxados.  Sig+num of Raimond of Timor.  Sig+num of Sancius of Tormos. Sig+num of Berengar of Olone.  Sig+num of John of Cascai.  Sig+num of Peter of Podio.  Ramon, deacon and deacon (levita et decanus).  I William of Bonastre, by the order of Sibilia and her siblings wrote this charter and made this sign, with the letters placed above in line 17.

Original letter:

Sit notum cunctis quod ego Sibilia bono animo promtaque voluntate vendo vobis, domino regi Ildefonso Aragonis, et uxori vestri Sancie, eadem gracia venerabili regine Aragonis, ipsum meum castrum quod vocatur castrum Galin, cum omnibus pertinenciis suis et tenedonibus, cum terris cultis et incultis, eremis et populatis, cum aquis et molendinis, cum paschuis et lignearibus et adempramentis, et cum omnibus eidem castro pertinere debentibus in se habentibus, cum senioratico militum et hominum in se habitantibus.  Et accipio a vobis pro hac vendicione morabetinos CCL bonos in auro, ac de meo iure predictum castrum in vestrum trado dominium et potestatem per alodium francum et liberum ad vestras vestrorumque voluntate inibi vel ex inde faciendas, sine ullo meo meorumque retentu.  Est, autem, iam dictum castrum in comitatu Minorise, in loco dicto castro Galin.  Et advenit mihi illud castrum voce et concessione matris mee Arsendis et parentum meorum.  Si quis hanc vendicionem infringere temtaverit, in vinculo componat D morabetinos; et postea hec vendicio omni tempore firma permaneat.  Actum est hoc XV kalendas ianuarii anno Domini MCLXXVIII.  Sig+num Sibilie.  Sig+num Eliesendis, sororis sue..  Sig+num Bernardi, fratris illarum, qui hanc vendicionem firmamus, laudamus et a testibus firmari rogamus.  Sig+num Guilielmi de Guardia.  Sig+num Petri d’Olon.  Sig+num Bernardi, vicarii Minorise.  Sig+num Petri, presbiteri, fratris sui.  Sig+num Raimondi di Minorisa.  Sig+num B. de Boxadoss.  Sig+num Raimondi de Timor.  Sig+num Sancii de Tormos.  Sig+num Berengarii de Olone.  Sig+num Iohannis de Cascai.  Sig+num Petri de Podio.  Raimundus, levita atque decanus.  Ego Guilielmus de Bonastre, iussu Sibilie et fratrum suorum hanc cartam scripsi et hoc signumfeci, cum litteris suprapositis in linea XVII.

Historical context:

Sibilia sells her holding at Galin which she inherited from her mother to the king and queen.  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) 1.211 #199  

Date:

December 18, 1178

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7916/n6f2-a224

This is an archived work created in 2024 and downloaded from Columbia University Academic Commons.