Diplomata

APPENDIX. CERTAIN DIPLOMATA. A Privilege or First Donation of Flavius Agilulf, King of the Lombards, Granted to the Venerable St. Columbanus of the Territory of Bobbio for Four Miles on Every Side. Flavius Agilulf, most excellent king, to the venerable Columbanus and his companions. We believe that we shall repay a pious recompense to the almighty Lord if priests in our kingdom, by a salutary ordinance, are able to fulfill their vows to the Lord; therefore, to the basilica of the blessed and chief of the apostles, Peter, situated in the place which is called Bobbio, by this our general decree we cede to your holy paternity the license to dwell and possess there, on every side as we determine, for a circuit of four miles, whether cultivated or uncultivated, except only the half of the well which we have granted as conceded by our donation decree. For all other boundaries, which we have named above, of the basilica of blessed Peter, or to you, or to those who serve there to you and yours, we command our dukes, stewards, or agents in every way that none of them shall at any time presume to act against this decree of our document, so that for the health and stability of our kingdom you may be able to entreat the Lord day and night.

Given in Milan, in the palace, on the ninth day before the Kalends of August, in the eighth year of our most happy reign, by the fifth indiction. By order of the lord king, and by order of Agiderius the notary, I, Liunus, wrote. II. A small charter concerning how the lord Columbanus handed over the monastery of Bobbio to the apostolic see. In the name of the Lord and Ruler of all, Jesus Christ, true Son of God, our Lord. In the year, God being propitious, of the pontificate of the lord Gregory, supreme pontiff and universal pope in the most holy see of the blessed Peter, prince of the apostles, the 4th indiction, 13th year, I, Columbanus, servant of the servants of God, born from the parts of Ireland, said to the pope: For it is established that the human race was formed from the beginning with divine clemency, but the ancient rival author, to destroy the joys of the human race, composed deadly poisons, so that the whole human mass would be held bound by the chain of sin. Therefore our maker, the Lord Jesus Christ, to restore the freedom of his image, coming through the womb of the Virgin, conferred upon the world renewed joys of Paradise for men believing in him.

Therefore, considering the eternal reward, we wish that He Himself be our pious rewarder, and we most willingly decree and establish that all those properties which came to us by decree from the most glorious King Agilulf, which lie near the river Trebbia in the valley called Bobbio, and which measure a full four miles on all sides, or whatever we and our successors may acquire, shall be under the defense and immunity of the most holy Apostolic See, subject to the judgment of you and your successors. If at any time after the foundation of the monastery any dispute arises from any quarter, whether from a great or small person, it shall appear that what has been done in the presence of your most holy breast in the present shall remain firm for all future time. If anyone acts otherwise than as written above, we commit him to the one who said: "Vengeance is mine, and I will repay." Hence we wish two charters of identical tenor to be made for the utmost certainty, one of which we deliver to the church of the blessed Peter, prince of the apostles, to be preserved, and the other we retain for ourselves and our successors to keep, so that, as we have said, with all contention removed, it may be destroyed. We have delivered these charters of my offering to Peter, the most reverend deacon, with the stipulation solemnly interposed.

Done in the palace of Constant., on the third day of the month of November, in the above-written indiction, happily. I, Columbarius, have made and presented these charters of my offering. I, Bubulenus, monk and priest. I, Eunochus, priest and monk. I, Domitialis, humble deacon, Scot, and monk. I, Evonenus, priest and monk. I, Bobulenus, monk and priest. I, Gurgazus, of the nation of the Bertons. I, Bonifacius, archiscrutinarius. I, Attalus, priest of the nation of the Franks. I, Deusdedit, scrutinarius. I, Meliaderus, presbyter and monk. I, Romanus, deacon, sign al. al. al. Leoni and Simeoni, and Audo, witnesses, sign al. al. al. Leoni, Zachariae, Epiphoni, witnesses. I, Petras, deacon and notary of the holy apostolic see, wrote, published, completed, and gave these charters of offering. III. Confirmation of the above-written privilege by King Adivaldus.

Flavius Adivaldus, the most excellent king, to the monastery of the most blessed apostles Peter and Paul situated in Bobbio, and to Venerable Abbot Attalanus and all his monks. Having come to the court of the blessed apostles to pray for our sins out of devotion, where the memory of our father, Lord Columbanus, rests in body, your reverence and the whole nurturing congregation of the servants of God together petitioned us, and you showed us the decree of the Lord and of our father, King Agilulf. It was contained therein that our father had handed over this place to blessed Columbanus to inhabit and possess for himself and for those who would serve the Lord there in perpetuity after him, and that we should likewise do so now, as your holy paternity of all requested. Therefore, expecting an eternal reward, we have decreed to acclaim the present, so that we may merit eternal and everlasting things. And so, hearing the petition of all of you, we confirm and grant to you, in the name of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul, the basilica situated in Bobbio, with the permission to inhabit and possess it. We therefore decree the boundaries from every side of that basilica to be four miles, just as the Lord, our father, by his decree established for blessed Columbanus to have.

Except for half of the well, which that same father, a man of venerable memory, founded, he granted also wood for boiling salt, which we likewise grant and confirm to be possessed. Similarly, Alpecella, which is called Pennice, where our lady and mother Theodolinda, the most glorious queen, out of love for our father Columbanus, ascended to inspect this place. She asked of us that we grant that same Alpecella to your holy monastery, and we, hearing her request, decreed with willing spirit to give it, and given in perpetuity to you and to those who after you will serve God there, we wish it to remain. Therefore, considering eternal reward, by this decree of our authority we confirm for your holy monastery and for your venerable community the boundaries already set forth above, together with that Alpecella of Mount Pennice with its boundaries running through those same boundaries as far as the rock of Gragio, and from there returning below the rock of Pedenna into the hollow before one reaches the rock of Digna, and from there along that same ridge as far as the river Trebbia, by our more recent letters we likewise confirm to be possessed by our gift.

So that henceforth none of our judges, counts, stewards, or agents shall presume to diminish anything from it, but that which, with God’s favor, we have conferred upon that holy and venerable place, both in our most prosperous times and also in the future, in stable order, you—that holy place, or your blessedness, or whoever in the course of time shall succeed you—may inviolably possess. By order of the lord king, and by order of Agiderius the notary, I, Pron, have subscribed. Given at Ticinum in the palace on the day before the Kalends of August, in the 6th year of our most prosperous reign, the indiction being prosperous. IV. Another Confirmation of the aforesaid privilege. Flavius Adjuvaldus, the most excellent king, to the venerable Abbot Bertulphus, and to all the monks of his monastery. We believe that a return is made to us by almighty God if the priests in our kingdom are able to fulfill their vows to God in a wholesome arrangement.

Therefore, just as by our piety the Lord Agilulf, our royal father, granted to you, or to your predecessors, to the Lord Columbanus of holy memory, or to the abbots Attala of Bobbio at the basilica of the blessed and chief of the apostles Peter, to dwell, so by this general decree of ours we cede to you at the threshold of the blessed Peter there, in the name of God, the license to dwell and possess, and we decree the boundaries on all sides, just as it was granted and handed over by our Lord and father, to the Lord Columbanus of holy memory, or to Attala, for a circuit of four miles on every side, whether cultivated or uncultivated, except only half of the well, and whatever our predecessor and father King Agilulf granted, or wood for burning for the making of salt. But also what came to you from Russone by donation, and with authority, we confirm by our gift in your monastery; and also those boundaries which we named above, we grant to the basilica of the blessed Peter and to you to hold as far as the rock of Gragio, and from there below the rock of Pedena on the slope before reaching the digua, and along that slope as far as the river Trebbia. Therefore, we command all our dukes, gastalds, or agents, that none of them shall ever presume to act against this page of our decree. So that for the salvation and stability of our kingdom, they may implore the Lord day and night. I, Bonus the notary, wrote this.

Given at Pavia in the palace on the day of the month of August, in the seventh year of our reign happily, in the tenth indiction.