Testamentum
by Atto of Vercelli and Various Authors
Source text: Public Domain. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://migne.app/pl/134/testamentum/
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## Testament

[0893C]In the name of the holy and undivided Trinity, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, to whom be glory unto everlasting ages of ages, amen. In the reign of the lord Hugh and the lord Lothair, most pious kings — the twentieth year of the reign of the lord Hugh, and the fifteenth of the lord Lothair — in the third year of the pontificate of the venerable father and lord, the lord Marinus, most holy pope of the universal Church of God, in the third indiction, on the Ides of May, a synod having been convened by the venerable father the lord Olderic, archbishop of the holy Church of Milan, in the basilica of the most glorious pontiff and confessor Saint Ambrose, before his holy body; there being present the lord Hugh, legate sent by the lords the aforesaid kings, and the venerable father the lord Roger, bishop of Perugia, legate of the most holy lord pope. At that same synod was present the venerable [0893D] father the lord archbishop of the holy Church of Milan, and the venerable bishops of Vercelli, Pavia, Novara, Brescia, Lodi, Bergamo, Tortona, Cremona, Asti, Chur, Turin, Ivrea, Aosta, Alba, Acqui, Savona, Genoa, Albenga, [0894C] Ventimiglia, Piacenza, Parma, Modena, and a great many other bishops, abbots, priests, and clerics, together with Count Guido and a great many illustrious magnates of the kingdom.

The liturgy completed, before the synod was dissolved, the lord Atto, bishop of the holy Church of Vercelli, rose, and reverently asked leave to speak; and this being granted him, the lord archbishop had him take his seat. This done, he said: Venerable Fathers and illustrious men, since God has said in the holy Gospel, *where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I also in the midst of them*, we therefore ought not to doubt that God is in the midst of us. Wherefore, since I am set in a ripe old age, and God has admonished us, saying, *Be ye ready, for [0894D] ye know neither the day nor the hour when the Lord shall come*, therefore, if it please you to gratify me, I would set my goods in order before God and before you, for the salvation of my soul, and of my kinsfolk, and of all the faithful departed, so that after my death I may have those who will entreat God for my soul, that it may be loosed from its sins. [0895A] Having heard these things, all said: Let whatever the venerable lord Atto wishes be done through him. And he began to speak thus:

In the name of Jesus Christ, I, Atto, humble bishop of the holy Church of Vercelli, considering that the words of the Lord are infallible — namely, *lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, and give to the poor, for ye shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life eternal* — therefore I, the aforesaid Bishop Atto, will, adjudge, and by this my adjudication establish, together with Hugh the marquis and Burchard the count, my advocates, that all things which I shall establish remain inviolate for perpetual time. And in the first place I adjudge and bequeath, immediately after my death, my palace of Stazzona with its orchard and wood and appurtenances entire [0895B] to you, venerable father, and lord, lord archbishop of Milan, and to those who after you shall hold the bishopric of the Church of Milan, so that it remain for perpetual time without diminution in the power of the archbishops of Milan; for which I ask them once a year to perform the sacred rites for the repose of my soul. Likewise I bequeath and adjudge to the Church of Saint Eusebius, or to its bishopric, whereof I am unworthily bishop, four farmsteads of my right in the valley of Aosta, and two others in Verdezzo, all with their buildings and lands and rights pertaining to me, the aforesaid Bishop Atto, with the serfs and *aldii* of either sex, entire; so that those who after me shall preside over the said Church may, by title of usufruct only, do with their fruits, all the days of their life, whatever they will, yet without alienation [0895C] of the estate. But if they should alienate anything, let all the aforesaid come into the power of the holy Church of Ivrea; and let all my successors be bound to perform the sacred rites once a month, that God may have mercy on my soul for the things done in ignorance in the governance of the Church committed to me.

Likewise I adjudge and bequeath to the canons of the aforesaid holy Church the royal court with its lesser court, which are of my right, the aforesaid Bishop Atto's, with their buildings, lands and rights, living and dead, entire, so that from their revenues they may on the Sunday of Olives take a meal together, and the remainder be divided on the octave of Pentecost in equal portions among them, on which day they keep the anniversary for all the bishops of that holy Church of Vercelli; and I forbid [0895D] them all alienation; and if they shall have alienated it, let all come into the power of the Church of Turin. Likewise I will that immediately after my decease, in honor of the twelve apostles, twelve serfs of mine, the aforesaid Bishop Atto's, be set free, so that with their wives and children, with all their substance, they be free — even as now, so for then, I manumit and free them.

Likewise I adjudge and bequeath to the lord Aldeman, my kinsman, [0896A] archpriest of the holy Church of Milan, and to the cardinals and decuman priests, and to the clergy of the said Church, both those who now are and those who shall be in future, those four valleys of my right, the aforesaid Bishop Atto's, which are called Bellagio, Leventina, Biasca, and Intragna, with all their chapels, houses and lands, of whatever kind they be, with the servants and *aldii* of either sex, entire, so that they be perpetually in the power of the clergy of the said holy Church of Milan, whereof I was unworthy archdeacon. Whose revenues shall be divided thus: let the lord archpriest have as much as two cardinal priests; and let the cardinal priests, along with the primicerius of the decumans, each have as much as two decuman priests; and the cardinal deacons and subdeacons [0896B] as much as one decuman priest. But that portion which pertains to the cardinal priests, let the archpriest divide; that which pertains to the cardinal deacons and subdeacons, let it be divided by the archdeacon; and for the decumans let it be divided by their primicerius at his lodging. And all these things on this condition: that in perpetuity, on every first Monday of the Great Lent, the aforesaid archpriest and cardinals, primicerius and decumans, who shall be in office at the time, come with litanies and crosses to this basilica, where, before the bodies of the saints Ambrose, Protasius, and Gervasius, they shall celebrate the sacred rites for the souls of myself, and of the lord King Desiderius of good memory, and of Duke Ermenulf his father, and of Asprand and of Eberard his brother, my great-great-grandfather, the aforesaid Bishop Atto's, his son and of his other [0896C] sons. And likewise on the following Monday let the same be done before the body of Saint Satyrus, for the repose of my soul and of Count Guido of good memory, who was my great-grandfather, and of Atto also called Anscar, who was marquis, his son, who are entombed in the same church. Again let the same be done on the third following Monday, as above, and there, before the body of Saint Marcellina the virgin, let the sacred rites be performed for the souls of myself, and of Aldiger of good memory, otherwise Ermenulf, my father, and of his brothers resting in the same church. And on the first day, withdrawing from that same church, let them enter the church of Saint Nabor; on the second let them go to the basilica of the three kings; and on the third let them proceed to the church of Saint George, there where it is called "at the palace," and there let them make the kyrie and the rogations for the welfare of this city [0896D] and of all dwelling in it, and at the end let them say the requiem for all the departed. But whoever shall not be present at these three litanies, let him have nothing whatever, save if he be sick; and yet let him be bound to do the same on another day.

Likewise I adjudge and bequeath to the venerable lord Rupald, abbot of the monastery near that same basilica, and to his monastery, my court of Deliciano, with its chapel, and houses, and lands, and its rights, and the servants pertaining to me, the aforesaid Bishop Atto, entire; [0897A] yet on this condition, that the abbot himself with his monks, while the aforesaid cardinals and decumans are in the church of Saint Ambrose, go with their litanies to the church of Saint Mary Major situated within the city of Milan, where it is called "within the vineyard," and there perform the sacred rites for my soul, and for those of the lady Mary my mother of good memory, and of the lady Imilda my sister, buried there. On the second day let them do the same for the souls of the countess Felinda of good memory, my grandmother, and of her daughters; and on the third day let it likewise be done for the souls of Rodelinda my great-grandmother, and of all my departed. But if this shall not be done, let all the aforesaid things bequeathed to them belong to the lady Bertrada, abbess of the said monastery of Saint Mary Major. Likewise I adjudge and bequeath to the said venerable lady abbess Bertrada, [0897B] my brother's daughter, with her nuns and her monastery, five *mansi* of land of my right, the aforesaid Bishop Atto's, in the court of Cerdato, with the buildings, serfs, *aldii* and their households of either sex pertaining thereto, entire, that they may the more conveniently serve God, and once a month remember to pray that my soul may be loosed from its sins.

And all these things I, the aforesaid Bishop Atto, adjudge and do on this condition: that all the aforesaid cardinals, decumans, abbot, monks, abbess, and nuns, and their successors, male or female, jointly or severally, in whole or in part, may not in any manner alienate or seize upon the said valleys, courts, farmsteads, lands, serfs, servants, *aldii* of either sex; because it is my firm will [0897C] that all the aforesaid remain for perpetual time devoted to divine worship, for the repose of all my departed. Therefore I reverently ask you, venerable father, lord archbishop, and all who sit in this holy synod, that you lay excommunication and anathema upon all who shall violate this my adjudication in whole or in part.

This heard, the lord archbishop and the whole synod, on the part of God and of all the saints, anathematized whosoever by any contrivance whatever shall violate this adjudication of the venerable father the lord Atto, bishop of the holy Church of Vercelli; and let him who shall do so have his portion with Judas the traitor and Simon Magus in eternal gehenna, together with Satan and his devils. And all said: So be it, so be it, so be it. [0897D] This done, Bishop Atto himself said: Hear, all venerable Fathers; here I have disposed of what I was able to adjudge and dispose of according to my conscience; but the remainder of my substance, which is seen now to belong to me, I adjudge and bequeath to my nearer kinsmen, that they may do with it whatever they will, according to the disposition of their elders, and as the Lombard law disposes. Likewise I ask the holy father, the venerable pope, and the most clement lords the kings, that they deign by their letters to confirm this my adjudication.

Having heard these things, the lord Hugh the count and the lord Roger the bishop, the aforesaid envoys, interposing the authority of the lords [0898A] the kings and of the lord pope, ratified all these things and promised to have them confirmed. These matters accomplished, the same lord Bishop Atto, together with Hugh the marquis and Burchard the count, his advocates, said: This is my free will and my final adjudication. So help me God, amen. Done in the basilica of Saint Ambrose, pontiff and confessor, where his holy body rests.

+ I, Roger, humble bishop, legate sent by the most holy father the venerable Pope Marinus, have approved, confirmed, and subscribed this adjudication.

I, Hugh, count, legate sent by the lords Hugh and Lothair, most pious kings, have approved, confirmed, and with my own hand subscribed this adjudication.

[0898B]+ I, Olric, archbishop of the holy Church of Milan, have approved, confirmed, and with my own hand subscribed all things at which I was present above.

+ I, Atto, unworthy bishop of the sacred Church of Vercelli, have with my own hand subscribed for the confirming of this my adjudication.

+ I, Lincfred, bishop of Pavia, have approved and confirmed.

+ I, Notingh, bishop of Brescia, have subscribed:



## Testament (cont.)

+ I, Gezzo, bishop of the holy Church of Tortona, have subscribed with my own hand.

+ I, Bruning, bishop of Asti, have subscribed.

+ I, Riculf, bishop of Turin, have approved and subscribed.

+ Griffo, bishop of Aosta, has subscribed.

[0898C]+ I, Adalgisius, bishop of the holy Church of Acqui, have subscribed myself.

+ Mildo, bishop of the Church of Ventimiglia, has ratified it.

+ I, Sigifred, bishop of Parma, have subscribed.

+ John, bishop of Massa, has ratified it.

+ I, Aldeman, archpriest of the holy Church of Milan, have approved, and have set my hands to the ratifying of it.

+ Daipert, bishop of the holy Church of Cremona, has ratified it with his own hand.

+ I, Baldo, bishop of Chur, have subscribed.

+ Asmund, bishop of Ivrea, have ratified it with my own hand.

+ I, Daibert, bishop of Alba, have subscribed.

[0898D]+ Ingulf, bishop of Albenga, has ratified it.

+ I, Boso, bishop of Piacenza, have subscribed.

+ I, Guido, bishop of Modena, have approved and subscribed.

+ I, Lotherius, bishop of the Church of Mariana, have subscribed.

+ I, Hupald, humble abbot, have approved and subscribed.

The marks * * of the hands of Hugh the marquis, and of Burchard the count, advocates of the aforesaid venerable father the lord Bishop Atto, who have approved this adjudication, [0899A] and have set their hands to the confirming of it.

The marks ****** of the hands of Aripert, Olderic, John, Asprand, Burlus, and Cano, witnesses, and of a great many other persons who were called to this [n: ( ita cod. )].

I, Vualpert, humble archdeacon and chancellor of the holy Church of Milan and of the present sacred [n: ( ita cod. )] synod, by mandate of the above-written Fathers, have written, delivered, and subscribed this adjudication of the venerable father the lord Atto, bishop of Vercelli.

I, Lambert, notary of the sacred palace and envoy of the lords Hugh and Lothair, most pious kings, together with the above-written lord archdeacon, have delivered [0899B] and subscribed it.

I, Peter, who am called Rabbus, notary of the lord emperor Henry, have diligently collated the above-written adjudication of the lord Atto, bishop of Vercelli, pronounced by him in the synod of Milan and subscribed, as faithfully copied above by the below-written Bogerius Bonafides, notary, from the original of the aforesaid adjudication — which appears to have been secured with three seals, the first of which was that of the lords the kings, the second bearing Saints Peter and Paul, and the third bearing Saint Ambrose but almost consumed by age — with that original itself, for the most part decayed, so that it can scarcely and with difficulty be read; being asked so to do by [0900A] the venerable lord Ambrose, called of Vimercate, abbot of the monastery of Saint Ambrose, where his holy body rests; at the instance also of the lady Columba, abbess of the Monastero Maggiore of Milan; and this by mandate of the lord John, called of Rusca, honorable podestà of the city and commune of Milan, there being present the said Bonafides, T. Senago, Jo. Coalia, J. Canova, A. Lomatio, notaries, and Thomas called Crassus, and Rufinus Corbus, jurists, and Ossa de Ossis, Peter called Bellabucca, Comasinus de Cremis, John Marcellinus, Guido the viscount, as witnesses; and because I found it to agree, apart from the lettering more or less, I have subscribed with my own hand.

I, Tebald, who am called of Sunago, notary, have subscribed myself to this transcript because I found it faithful.

[0900B]I, John, who am called Coalia, notary of the sacred palace, was present at the aforesaid transcript, and because I found it to agree, as above, by mandate I have subscribed myself.

I, John, who am called of Canova, imperial notary, have faithfully collated this transcript, and [because] I found it uniform with the original, I have subscribed myself.

I, Anselarus, who am called of Lomatio, notary, have with the above-said notaries examined this transcript, and because I found it to agree, I have subscribed myself.
