This royal charter documents a grant of land and establishment of a roadside inn or hostel, here called albergaria, by the first sovereign of Portugal (king or queen), Queen Dona Teresa in 1117, along the royal road from Lisbon-Coimbra-Porto. The town is known today as Albergaria-a-Velha and it lies on the Caminho de Santiago. There is still in the town an albergue, named for Dona Teresa (Albergue de Peregrinos Rainha Dona Teresa) and in 2017 the town unveiled a commemorative statue to Dona Teresa to mark the 900th anniversary of that event. Pictures of the unveiling ceremony, the statue, and the likely location of the original inn can be found at the Afonso Henriques website. Clicking on the pictures will reveal descriptions. The charter is considered to be the first time the queen references in writing her her royal title.
1117, NOVEMBRO, VILA-DA-FEIRA- Carta de couto de Assilhó1Assilhó, Municipio de Albergaria-a-Velha, Portugal, Aveiro, N 40 41′ 11”, W 8 28′ 47” a favor de Gonçalo Eriz, na qual se institui a albergaria de Meigion Frio (Albergaria-a-Velha).
TT (Torre do Tombo)- CR., Pedroso, m. II, doc. 28, cop. sec. XII (*)
In nomine Sancte et Indiuidue Trinitatis Patris et Filii et Spiritus amen. Hec est karta benefacti et firmitudinis cauti quam iussi facere ego infant domna Tarasia regina de Portugal tibi Gunzaluo Eriz in uillam tuam de Osseloa. In primis diuido ipsam uillam tuam cum terra Sancte Marie de una parte scilicet in strada que currit de Portugal in directo de Petra de Aquila et deinde per medio Mata Talada et deinde tendit ad Mata da Vssa que antea nominata Mata da Braua et deinde ad Mamoa Nigra que uocubant Arida et deinde ad Romariz et deinde de aliis partibus ad terminum de Vaga in directo de Romariz transire ipso riuulo de Osseloa ad Jarneca tendendo directo faciem usque in directo et inde girado ad uallos de Osseloa, deinde directo ad Fonte Fria que antea uocabant Fontanina de Meigion Frio, deinde sicut currit strada usque in directo de Petra de Aquila supra nominata. Pl[a]cuit mihi infant domna Tarasia regina de Portugal per bona pacis facere cautum tibi Gunsaluo Eriz in uilla Osselola per diuisiones nominatas scilicet de ipsa uilla usque petram cauti quam iussi ponere ad aquilone iuxta strada. lta et aliud tantum de uilla ad occidente et ad Affrica in directo dos uallos de Osselola trans riuulo ipso et girat ad Fonte Fria ad souerario adsignato, deinde transire uiam ad oriente et tendendo directo per termino Val Maior ad Valle Peguena ubi spoliant homines et occident, et inde de ipsa prima fonte de sub strada tendendo in directo ad aquilone usque cautum. lta de hodie die habeas tu isto cauto integro et progenie patrimonii et matrimonij tui uocatus qui in eadem uilla fuerit hereditato, scilicet pro I.º azor quod dedisti ad domnus Menendus Bofinus et ad meo scudeiro Artaldo I.º rocin et ad Godino Venegas uno gauiam et pro unam albergariam quod inter me et te ponamus in loco isto de super strada pro animas nostras et parentum nostrorum. Et albergueiro Gunsaluo do Christu in ea mittamus et dum transierit unum tu mittas alios (a). Et tu des de tua hereditate ubi laborent, scilicet de ipsa lagona prima dos souereiros de uia que currit ad Osselola tendendo ad ripam primam de ipso rigo que currit de strada tendendo iuxta ripam ipsam usque strada et inde ipsa lagona eundo ad prima mamoa de iuxta strada sicut tendit ad Fonte Fria, deinde de alia parte de termino Val Maior demus inter me et te et intercecessores (b) nostri de super petra cauti ad oriente tendendo ad fonte prima de sub strada et inde directo ad Fonte Fria. Insuper cauto albergueiro ut qui illi percusserit pectet ei D solidos et non pectet caluniam in toto meo regno et neque passagem neque det nullum forum. Et desuper honorifico ad te Gunsaluo Erit tuam uillam ut omnes montarij qui in suo termino mactauerint uenatu dent tibi lu[m]bos et quartam partem nisi rex. Et corzo et de gamo lumbos et in aral medietate et de urso manus. Et de uiso de homine genuis flexis cum oculos nee erectos neque mersos non intrent ibi conelarij. Et omnes homines qui ibi fecerint caluniam pectent tibi per forum Vaugam. Et qui fregerit cautum istum pectet tibi VI mille solidos et stet cautum. Et si tu uolueris colligere meo maiordomo in Ipsos sex mille solidos des ei terciam partem et non per foro, ergo quando uolueris et non intret in tuo cauto. Sed si aliquis de meis progenijs uel ego aut rex qui hoc factum meum irrumpere uoluerit sit maledictus et usque in secula seculorum. Et qui ibi fecerit bene sit benedictus et generatjo sua et omnes homines Vauguensis qui cautum histum honorificauerit habeat partem m omni hospicij boni de arbergaria. Confirma P. (c) episcopus Portugalensis. Facta karta in terra Sancte Maria ubi uocant Feira mense Nouembris Era M.a C.a L.a V.a. Ego infant domna Tarasia regina Portugalie qui hanc cartam tibi Gunzaluo Eriz iussi facere sicut superius sonat cum manu mea roboraui. Qui presentes fuerunt:
Domnus Petrus Gunzalui conf., Domnus Menendus Bofinus conf., Domnus Velascus Ramiriz conf., Domnus Godinus Venegas conf., Didaco Osoreiz conf.
Domnus Gunzaluus Truitesendiz conf., armiger Nuno Suarij uidit, Pelagio Scapulado conf., Artaldo ts., Petrus ts.
Pelagius ts., Gunzaluus ts., Johanne ts., Garsia ts.
Menendus proprie aule depinsit.
(Sinai) REGINA DOMNA TARASIA.
In Era M.a CC.a XII.a mense Apri[lis) ego A[lfonsus] Dei gratia Portugalie rex mando tibi Menendo Fernandi ipso cauto supra nominato sicut dedit mater mea ad auo tuo G[unzaluo] Eriz propter quod es de genere suo uocato Troczindo et seruisti me in Elbora et mando ad Petro Saluatoris ut mittat tibi in manu… saio[n] de Vauga que intrau[erit) in tuo cauto et uni die(?)… mandet ad Pelagium Taleira (?) ut mittat tibi in manu. Ego S[antius] rex conf., ibi stante abbadessa de Villa Coua. Petrus confirmo.
Original Latin from Rui Pinto de Azevedo, ed., Documentos medievais portugueses, Academia Portuguesa de Historia, 1958, pp. 60-62.
English translation:
1117, NOVEMBER, VILA-DA-FEIRA- Land grant from Assilhó in favor of Gonçalo Eriz, in which the albergaria de Meigion Frio is established (Albergaria-a-Velha).
TT – CR., Pedroso, m. II, doc. 28, cop. Sec. 12 (*)
In the name of the indivisible and Holy Trinity of the Father and the Son and the Spirit, amen. This is the charter of beneficence and steadfastness that I, the infanta Dona Teresa, queen of Portugal, ordered to make for you, Gunzaluo Eriz, in your village of Osseloa. In the first place, I separate your villa from the land of Santa Maria on one side, that is, on the road that runs from Portugal in a direct way from Petra de Aquila and then through the middle of Mata Talada and then it leads to Mata da Vssa which was previously named Mata da Braua and then to Mamoa Nigra which they called Arida and then to Romariz and then from other parts to the border of Vouga in the direction of Romariz to cross the very river from Osseloa to Jarneca continuing straight towards it and then from there turning to the palisade of Osseloa, then straight to Fonte Fria which formerly they called Fontanina de Meigion Frio, then as the road runs straight up to the above-mentioned Petra de Aquila. It has pleased me, infanta Dona Teresa, queen of Portugal, for the sake of good peace, to make this grant for you Gunsaluo Eriz in the town of Osselola by the divisions mentioned, that is, from the town itself to the stone marker which I ordered to be placed on the north side of the road. That and anything else from the village to the west and to Africa in a direct direction to the palisade of Osselola across the river itself and turning to Fonte Fria to the designated cork oak, then crossing the road to the east and heading directly toward the border of Val Maior to Valle Pequena where they rob and kill men, and thence from the very first spring below the road, extending north, as far as the marker. Thus from this day, you shall have this entire grant and will be passed on through inheritance to your progeny by marriage, called by your name in that same village, namely, for one hawk which you gave to Dom Menendus Bofinus and to my squire Artaldo one work horse and to Godinus Venegas one hawk and for the inn which the two of us shall establish in that place on the highway for our souls and those of our parents. And let’s place as inn-keeper Gunsaluo do Christu into it, and when he passes, you select the next one. And you shall give them work on your estate, that is, from the first lagoon to the cork oaks on the road that runs to Osselola, toward the near bank of the river that runs by the road, following its bank along the street, and from the lagoon itself, going to the first mound, from next to the street as it heads to Fonte Fria, then on the other side of the border of Val Maior we two and our descendants release from above the stone marker to the east, heading to the first spring beside the road and thence directly to Fonte Fria. Moreover, I will ensure that whoever injures him (the inn-keeper) shall pay him 500 coins, and he shall not suffer slander in all my kingdom and shall not pay tolls or entrance taxes. And on top of that, to honor you Gunsaluo Erit and your estate all the mountaineers who would hunt on your lands will give you the loins (of the animal) and a quarter, excepting the king. And the loins of the roe deer and the fallow deer and half if on plowed land and the paws of the bear. And (measured by) by the sight of a man on bended knee, when his eyes were neither raised nor lowered, may not enter there rabbit hunters. And all the men who have slandered you there will pay you through the forum in Vouga. And whoever breaks (the terms of) this grant will pay you 6,000 coins and will honor the terms. And if you wish to collect from my mayor those six thousand solids, give him a third of it and not through the court, and he shall not enter onto your estate without your permission. But if any of my descendants, either I or the king, dares to break this deed of mine, let him be cursed forever and ever. And he who has done good there, may he be blessed and his generation, and all the people of Vouga who honor this grant may have a share in the good hospitality of the inn [albergaria]. Signed P. (c) bishop of Portugal. This document made in the land of Santa Mary, called Feira, in the month of November, Era 1155 (Era Hispana: 1117 CE). I, the infanta Dona Teresa, queen of Portugal, who commanded you to make this charter to Gunzaluo Eriz, as it is stated above, with my hand, I signed. Those present were:
Dom Petrus Gunzalui conf. [signed], Dom Menendus Bofinus conf., Dom Velasco Ramiriz conf., Dom Godinus Venegas conf., Didaco Osoreiz conf.
Domnus Gunzaluus Truitesendiz conf., the armiger Nuno Suarij witnessed, Pelagio Scapulado conf., Artaldo ts. [witness], Petrus ts.
Pelagius ts., Gunzaluus ts., Johanne ts., Garsia ts.
Menendus properly stamped it with a scallop shell..
(Signature) QUEEN DONA TERESA.
In the Era 1212 (Era Hispana: 1174 CE), in the month of April, I Alfonso, by the grace of God, King of Portugal, I send to you Menendo Fernandi this land grant described above, as my mother gave it to your grandfather G[unzaluo] Eriz because you are from his family called Troczindo and you served me in Evora and I send to Peter Saluatori to place into your hand… leaving Vouga that he arrive at your estate in one day(?)… that he send to Pelagius Taleira(?) toplace in your hand. I S[ancho] king conf., before the abbess of Villa Coua. I Peter, sign.
English translation by Matthew Bailey