Letter 3017: The abbess Flora [a woman who wishes to found a monastery] is to receive the house with its gardens and guesthouses...

To Gratiosus the Subdeacon. That he should hand over to Flora the abbess a house, together with its gardens and outbuildings, for the building of a monastery. Gregory to Gratiosus the Subdeacon. For those who choose the religious life (Gratian, [Decretum] part 12, question 2, chapter 75) it is fitting that we make provision with suitable consideration, lest some occasion of necessity either make them slothful or, which God forbid, break the strength of their manner of life. Therefore by our present authority we direct you that you are to hand over to Flora the abbess the house situated in this city, in the fourth region, next to the place which is called "the White Hens," being of the legal property of the holy Roman Church over which, by God's authorship, we preside, in which house Campana, once a patrician lady, is known to have dwelt, together with the garden and the outbuildings which the gateway encloses within that same house, to be possessed by her, beyond all doubt, by right of ownership. In which house she may be able, with Christ's help, to build a monastery, where she may dwell with her congregation, so that both she herself and also whoever shall succeed in her place and office may be able to possess the aforesaid house and garden with everything pertaining to them, as we have said, by an undisturbed and unshaken right, granted by us out of consideration of piety. [Editorial apparatus:] In [one reading] it is read only as "to Peter the bishop." In Vatican A, the letter [reads] "of Bauricis." In B and C, the letter [reads] "of Bancis," the collected [manuscripts] agreeing. In the Angevin [manuscript], "bishop of Bancis." In the Roman Edition, "bishop of Vibicis." Read the following note of Goussainville, "of Baricis." Thus it is read from the manuscript codices of Moissac, Cluny, Citeaux, the Sorbonne, Saint-Victor, and others, of which some read "of Barcae." The old editions agree: the Venetian of 1504, the Parisian ones of 1508, 1518, 158[.], the Lyons one of [1]5[3]9, and others. In the later editions it was read "of Vibicis," which I do not see whence it crept in. "Baricis," however, is corruptly said for "Barce," from which [come] the Barcaean peoples, whom the Africans by corrupted speech call "Bariciari," as Saint Jerome says, letter 129, to Dardanus, although in the common editions of Saint Jerome it is rendered "Barcianos." But according to the emendation of Erasmus it must be read "Baricianos." So too from the editions of Saint Jerome—the Roman of 1470, the Venetian of 1488, the Lyons of 1508 and 1545. So also it is found in the manuscript codices of Saint-Victor of Paris, of Saint-Thierry of Reims, and in two [belonging] to that most distinguished man Claude Joly, cantor of Paris. Now Barce was once a city of Africa, the metropolis of Libya, also called Ptolemais, made tributary to the Roman people by Scipio Africanus after Africa was conquered. Sidonius Apollinaris, in poem 7: [the city] which once gave captive tribute, Barce. Today it is called Barca, and it is the capital of the region of the same name, which region indeed lies between Egypt and the Greater Syrtis, next to the Mediterranean Sea. Goussainville. The captives, says Allesera, were transported into Africa for the sake of commerce, that they might be sold for slaves, and were there put up for sale at the city of Baricis. For this reason Gregory sent Valerianus the presbyter into Africa for [...]. Patrologia, [volume] 77.

AD GRATIOSUM SUBDIACONUM. Flore abbatisxe Uomum cum horlis et hospitiis ad consiruendum monasterium tradat. Gregorius Gratios0 8':bdiacono. Religiosam vitam eligentibus { Grat. 12, g. 2, c. 75) congrua nos oportet consideratione prospicere, ne cujusdam necessitatis occasio aut desides faciat, aut robur, quod absit, conversationis inſringat. ldcirco praesenti tibi auctoritate precipimus quatenus do- mum positam in hac urbe, regione quarta, juxta locum qui appellatur * Gallinas albas, vel hortum juris sanclz Romanm Ecclesi:e, cui, Deo auctore, prasidemus, in .qua Campana » quondam Partritia mansisse dignoscCitur, Simul et hortum atque hospitia, quze intra eamdem domum janua concludit, GZ7 Florx abbaiisse debeas tradere, proprietatis jure pro- cul dubio possidendain. In qua domo monasterium, nbi cum congregatione Sua habitare- possit, Chrisio queat adjavante construere, ut tam ipsa quam etiam que in ejus loco honoreque Successerit predictam Jomum et hortum cum omnibus ad se pertinentibus, ticut diximas, quielo InconcussS0que jure, a nobis vietalis consideratione Cconcessa , Valeat possidere. liq. legitur tantum, Petro episcopo. In Vatic. A, epist. Bauricis. In B et C, epis!. Bancis, consentientibus coll, lu Andegav., eptsc. de Bancis. In Ed. Rom., 2pisc. de Vibicits, Lege $eq. nolam Gussanv., de Bari- cis, Sic legu ex Codicibus mss. Moissiac., Cluniac., Cisterc., Sorb: n., Victorino et aliis, ex quibus ali qui I-gimt de Barcis. Concordant Editiones antique, Ve- neta 1504, Parisi-nses 1508, 1518, 158", Lugdunensis 1:39, et alize. In posterioribus Ed:tionibus legebatur de Vibicis, quod unde irrepserit non video. Baricis amem corrupte dicitur pro Barce, a qua Barczi po- puli, quos corrupto sermone Afri Bariciaros vocaut, inquit Sanctus Hieronymus, epist. 129, ad Dardamun, licet in vulgaribus Editionibus sancti Hieronymi ha- bealur Barcianos, Verum ex emendatione Erasmi legen- Jum Baricianos. Sicut et ex Editionibus sancti Hiero- nymi Romana 1470, Veneta 1488, Lugdunensi 1508 21 1545, Sic etiam habetur in Codd. mss. Sancti Victoris Paris., Sancti Theodorici Rhemensis, et duo- bus viri clarissmi Claud:i Joly cantoris Parisiensis. Fuit autem Barce olim civitas Aſricze, metropolis Li- by, Ptuleniats etiam appellata, a Scipione Alricano poxt devictam Africam populo Romano 'tributaria ſacia. Sidonius Apoll., carmine vil : Uuz captiva dedit quoudam Stipendia Barche. Ilodie dicitur Barca, eslque regionis Cognominis ca- put, que quivem regio inter Agyplum et Syrtim m.gnam, jixla mire Mediterraneun jacet. GusSavnv. Capluvi, inquit Alleserra, commercii causa deporta- - bantur ii Atricam, ut venuudarentur pro ser vis, elma- Line Yenum exponeb.ntur apud Baricis urbein. ldeo Gregorius misit Yaleriapum presb. iu Aſricain pro PaTrRoL. LXXVII.