Clairefontaine Abbey

[1] The Countess Ermesinde, in retirement in her dower of Marville, bought from Richard de Wiltz, her share of the land of Delle on 21/12/1242, four years before her death.

In this was an ancient stud farm whose managers lived in a tenth century keep found by the excavators.

The forger betrays himself by inadvertently copying that the Countess gives all the mares' food in full, a text that he crosses out because he does not want to talk about stud farms, in addition to not having enough space on the small piece of parchment.

Here is the passage from this false will that interests us with our immediate comment: "[...] dedi integraliter (then follow three crossed out words which are nutritarum omnium equarum, I give all the food of the mares in full), equas meus pullis suis (all my mares with their foals) quarum numerus est LXIIII magnarum (of which the great number is 64), pullorum numerus novem (the number of foals is 9), XL modios frumenti ad mensura arlunensem (40 maldres of wheat to the measure of Arlon, either 40 × 180 litres or 7,200 litres; an adult person consumes 200 liters of wheat per year for his bread, so there is enough to feed 36 people per year), XL libras lucemborgensium denarium (40 Luxembourg pounds in deniers), omnes oves quatuor ovilium meliorum (all the sheep of my 4 best sheepfolds — without the exact location of these sheepfolds the document is legally inadmissible because we could still discuss for a long time which are the best; the forger has therefore omitted the location of these sheepfolds to save space once again), boves et equos ad duo aratra (oxen and horses for two ploughs).

Further on it is only said: "Item dedi medietatem omniam pertinentium ad Dele sicut eam emi a Richardus Advocato Arlunensi" "Item I give all the dependencies of the half of Delle as I bought them from Richard (de Wiltz), attorney of Arlon (purely hereditary honorific title)."

This false will also abbreviated the first names of the people by a single initial, which makes the document legally inadmissible.

A foal is weaned after 10 months by stopping suckling but remains with its mother until it reaches sexual maturity.

These included Pope Eugene III, who stopped there in 1147 with a group of 18 cardinals on a trip from Rheims to Trier.

About a hundred years later, Ermesinde had a vision, apparently seeing the Virgin Mary, who requested and an abbey be built here.