Charlemagne

Charlemagne died on 28 January 814 in Aachen after ruling as king and emperor for nearly half a century. His body was buried in the Palatine Chapel, the centre of his imperial court, and his death marked the transition to his son Louis the Pious.

On 11 September 813, at Aachen, Charlemagne crowned his son Louis the Pious as co‑emperor and King of the Franks, ensuring dynastic continuity and preparing for the peaceful succession of his empire.

On Christmas Day 800, at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne as “Emperor of the Romans,” reviving the imperial dignity in Western Europe for the first time since the fall of Rome in 476. This act elevated Charlemagne’s authority and laid the groundwork for the Holy Roman Empire.

Charlemagne waged long and brutal campaigns against the Saxons beginning in 772 and culminating in their final subjugation and Christianization by around 804. These wars reshaped the religious and political landscape of northeastern Europe.

In 788, Charlemagne annexed Bavaria, extending the Frankish realm further into Central Europe. This expansion secured his eastern frontiers and brought additional territories—and their ecclesiastical institutions—under his control.

In 774, Charlemagne conquered the Lombard kingdom in northern Italy and declared himself King of the Lombards. This expansion extended Frankish influence into Italy and reinforced his role as protector of the papacy.

After the sudden death of his brother Carloman on 4 December 771, Charlemagne became sole ruler of the Frankish kingdom. He quickly consolidated power by neutralizing rivals and securing his dynasty’s control over the realm.

Upon the death of his father Pepin the Short, Charlemagne and his brother Carloman became co‑kings of the Franks on 9 October 768. This division of the Carolingian realm marked the beginning of his long and influential reign over the Frankish people.

Charlemagne was most likely born on 2 April 748, based on mid‑9th‑century commemorations by Lorsch Abbey and scholarly reconstructions that align this with Annales Petaviani and dating conventions from Easter‑based calendars. His exact birthplace remains unconfirmed, with palace sites such as Vaires‑sur‑Marne, Quierzy, and Herstal all posited by historians, but none definitively proven.