E06143: Three authentic or substantially authentic Merovingian royal diplomas survive from before 700 which record the concessions of successive Frankish kings of a royal property at Ardin (western Gaul) to the church at Le Mans (north-west Gaul) dedicated to *Gervasius (martyr of Milan, S00349), and later also *Mary (mother of Christ, S00033). Written in Latin in Gaul, 669/670-698.

MGH DD Mer. (excerpts)

107. Childeric II informs Bishop Dido of Poitiers that he has granted the church of Le Mans the royal curtis in Ardin, and freed it from levies (669/70)
Childericus rex Francorum vir[o] apostolico patri Didone Pictauensi episcopo. Cognoscat sanctitas vestra, qu[od] nos tributo illo, quicquid de curte cognominante Arduno, sitam in pago Pictauense, in luminaribus ad basilicam sancti Geruasii [conscripto] absque inpedimento pro mercedis nostris augmentum omnia, quod ad fiscum nostrum exigitur, visi fuimus concessisse [...]

'Childeric, king of the Franks, to the noble man and apostolic father Dido, bishop of Poitiers. Let your sanctity know that we have been seen to grant that the tribute which is exacted from that curtis known as Ardin, situated in the country of Poitiers, is assigned to the lights of the basilica of Saint Gervasius, and is free from the levies which are made for our riches, extracted to our fisc ...'


110. Childeric II confirms to the church of Le Mans his earlier gift of the royal curtis in Ardin (673)
[Childericus rex Francorum viris inlustribus...] Cum et villa nuncupante Arduno, in pago Pictauo, ab antecessoribus regum parentum nostrorum quondam [per eorum] preceptionis cognovimus [fuisse concessa] ad basilicam peculiaris patronis nostri domni Geruasii in urbem Cenomannicam, ubi vir apostolicus pater noster domnus Aiglibertus episcopus esse dinoscitur, et nos recolimus emunitates de ipsa villa ad ipsum sanctum locum visi fuimus concessisse, propterea cognoscat magnitudo seu utilitas vestra, qu[od] nos concessimus [...]

'Childeric, king of the Franks, to his noble men ... Since we knew that the villa known as Ardin, in the country of Poitiers, had been granted by our late kinsmen, the kings who came before us, through their command to the basilica of our personal patron, our lord Gervasius, in the city of Le Mans, where our father the lord Bishop Agilbert is known to be, and we are mindful of the immunities to that villa that we have been seen to grant to that holy place, let therefore your magnitude and utility recognise that we have granted ...'


151. Childebert III confirms to the church of Le Mans the royal curtis in Ardin, and its immunity (698, Valenciennes)
Childebertus rex Francorum vir[is] illust[ribus]. Si facta parentum nostrorum conservamus, nostra perhenniter stabilia esse confidimus. Ideoque apostolicus vir pater noster in Christo Herlemundus Cenomannice urbis episcopus nobis subgessit, eo quod avunculus noster Childericus quondam rex [...] concessit, ut quicquid de villa ipsius aecclesię Cenomannice nuncupante Arduno, in pago Pictauo, a[d] fiscum sperabatur, hoc nullus iudex nec quislibet exactare deberet [...] nisi hoc in luminaribus ipsius aecclesię Cenomannice, quę est in honore sanctę Marie et sancti Geruasii martiris patronis nostri constructa [...]

'Childebert, king of the Franks, to his noble men. If we preserve those things of our forebears, we can be eternally confident in our own security. And therefore the apostolic man, our father in Christ Herlemund, bishop of the city of Le Mans suggested to us, that that which our uncle Childeric, the late king ... had granted, that whatever was due to the fisc from the villa of the church of Le Mans called Ardin, in the country of Poitiers, no iudex nor anyone was to exact... unless it was for the lights of that church of Le Mans, which is constructed in honour of Saint Mary and Saint Gervasius [later interpolation: and Protasius], martyr, our patron...'


Text: Kölzer 2001. Translation: B. Savill.