Charlemagne was king of the Franks, 768 to 814, effective founder of the Holy Roman Empire which by 800 included all of Europe north of the Pyrenees and Alps, and eastward to the Elbe, plus Lombardy in northern Italy ( See our entry on Charlemagne). From his palace in Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen), on the borders of Germany and the low countries, Charlemagne’s authority, established by fighting more than 40 military campaigns in as many years, produced Christian order throughout most of western Europe.
Chalemagne’s relationship with the popes in Rome began through his father, “Pépin le Bref” (Pepin the Short; Pepin III, also called Pippin), who formed an alliance with Pope Stephen II in 753-4 by which, in return for the pope’s blessing on their rule, the Franks agreed to protect the
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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Charlemagne crowned Holy Roman Emperor". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 October 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1349, accessed 14 March 2025.]
