Testament of Charlemagne

The Testament of Charlemagne was documented and witnessed in 811, the 43rd year of his reign. Charlemagne had intended to make a last will and testament in order to share his wealth with his daughters and the children of his concubines (his sons mostly inheriting parts of his kingdom). Unfortunately, it was begun too late and was not finished before his death in 814. Nevertheless, three years prior, he made a division of his possessions, ratified in the presence of the faithful who were called upon as witnesses. The text of this testament is quoted from Einhard.[1]

The division of his stores of gold, silver, precious stones and royal ornaments was into three lots. Two of these lots were further divided into twenty-one parts, to be distributed to the recognized metropolitan cities, with each archbishopric receiving alms. They were to be used for charity. These included: Rome, Ravenna, Milan, Friuli, Grado, Cologne, Mainz, Salzburg, Trier, Sens, Besançon, Lyon, Rouen, Reims, Arles, Vienne, Tarentaise, Embrun, Bordeaux, Tours, and Bourges.

The third lot was to be further divided into four parts. The first of these parts was apportioned to the twenty-one cities above. The second part was assigned to his sons and daughters, and to the sons and daughters of his sons, in equal portions. The third lot was allocated to the poor, and the fourth, to the men and maid servants on duty in the palace. Further designations for books, three silver tables and a gold table were also made.

List of witnesses

Of interest is the list of bishops, abbots and counts called upon to witness this historical event.[2] They include the following:

Bishops

Abbots

Counts

References
  1. Turner, Samuel Epes (1960). Einhard: The Life of Charlemagne. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
  2. Thorpe, Lewis G. M. (1969). Two Lives of Charlemagne. Penguin. p. 90. ISBN 9780140442137.
  3. Bury, J. B., ed. (1922). The Cambridge Medieval History: Volume III, Germany and the Western Empire. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 4.
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