“as it is certain that you will come to death” Office for him, his son, and his parents. It seems that such pilgrimages to Rome became a family tradition, as reflected in the Last Wills before departure. A good four decades later, Guntbert, then monk of Saint-Bertin, again set out on a journey to Rome. On 27 July 868 in the villa episcopali Wavrans sur l’Aa (Vuabrante) insolario, located not far from the Monastery of Saint-Bertin, Guntberto Romam ire disponente made dispositions of his land property here in the event that he would not return from the journey.30 This legal act was not only carried out “on the terrace” of Bishop Hunfrid of Therouanne and in his 13th year of office, but also in his presence. He himself “made arrangements to travel to Rome as well” (ipso etiam pariter Romam ire disponente). The document concludes with the words: In dei nomine ego Guntbertus peccator, presbiter, iturus ad Romam, ad dominum meum sanctum Petrum, cui ab infantia traditus fui, ibidemque clericatus ... propria manu scripsi.31 That this pilgrimage to the tombs of the apostles was a joint endeavour between Guntbert and his former convent leader is confirmed in a document issued barely four weeks later, on 21 August 868, in Weinsheim near Bingen on the Middle Rhine.32 By this document, thein luster vir Heriricus, with the consent and in the presence of his brother, Bishop Hunfrid of Thérouanne, transferred thevilla Uuimundasheim(Weinsheim near Bingen, Lkr. Bad Kreuznach) to the Monastery of Prüm. The donor Heririch declares in the document that he was about to set off on a journey to the apostles’ tombs in Rome. The scribe of the document is again Guntbert of Saint-Bertin, who explicitly states in the subscription line that he received the order to do so from Bishop Hunfrid.33 Hunfrid and Guntbert had obviously travelled almost 500 km together from the north of the West Frankish Empire to the Middle Rhine, where the wealthy 144 30 Guérard 1840, n. XCI, p.277. 31 “In the name of God, I, Guntbert, sinner, priest, about to walk to Rome to my Lord, Saint Peter, to whom I was given in my childhood, [...] have written this with my own hand.” 32 Beyer 1860, n. 110, pp. 115–116. 33 In dei nomine ego gundbertus peccator pater iussu domni hunfridi episcopi nostri. fratrisque eius heririci inlustris uiri rogatu hanc cartam traditionis sancte deuotionis eorum domno saluatori facte scripsi. Beyer 1860, p. 116.
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