“as it is certain that you will come to death” omnipotentis dei adiutorio nunc agere volo, hoc est ad limina apostolorum finis vitae meae contigerit.23 He reserved possession of his goods for an annual interest of one denarius and the right of redemption for one pound. Alphere was obviously travelling alone, for in the event of his death during the pilgrimage to Rome, his wife Plidkarda was to be allowed to use the goods for the following year. After that, they were to go to the monastery. In this case, the testamentary disposition was hidden behind two wonderful examples of a precaria and a praestaria. This form of land tenure was by far the most important type of property transfer in the St Gall charters from the 760s onwards and reached their peak in the early 9th century, accounting for four-fifths of all documented legal transactions. This system guaranteed the monastery annual rents from thousands of tenants. In the second half of the 9th century, their share declined significantly, and by the 10th century it had fallen to just 50 per cent.24 The frequency of such an undertaking in the Alemannic area is also reflected in its inclusion in one of the St Gall collections of formularies, created towards the end of the 9th century by Notker Balbulus (†912), illustrious composer, poet, scholar, teacher, archivist, and librarian in St Gall Abbey.25 As is well known, this collection of forms was denied a specific “suitability for everyday use”, as it was conceived as a “commemorative gift” to Bishop SolomonIII with literary intentions.26 The compiler of this collection had taken into account someone who handed over his goods to a monastery under certain conditions, namely in the following case: Quod si ille ... Romam pergens ... illic defunctus vel interfectus fuerit.…27 Towards the end of this contribution, however, we leave the excellent transmission of original charters at the Monastery of St Gall and turn to 142 From Flanders to Rome 23 Erhart 2021, nn. 521 and 522. 24 Zeller 2022, pp. 59–60. 25 Zeumer 1886, pp. 402f; cf. Erhart “Notker Balbulus” 2013, passim. 26 Von den Steinen 1945, pp. 459–460, 485–490. 27 Zeumer 1886, p. 402.
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