Charlemagne which means Charles the Great lived between 742 and 28 January 814. He was the King of the Franks from 768 to his death. He expanded the the kingdoms to a Frankish Empire that included majority of Western Europe and Central Europe.
He conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III in 800. His reign was affected by the Carolingian Renaissance.
He was the son of King Pippin the Short and Bertrada of Laon. Charlemagne became the protector of papacy. Charlemagne had the worst defeat of his reign at the Battle of Roncesvalles in 778.
He is accepted as the founder of both French and German monarchies, and also as the father of Europe.
Charlemagne was described by Einhard, the author of the biographical Vita Caroli Magni in his twenty-second chapter:
Charles was large and strong, and of lofty stature, though not disproportionately tall, the upper part of his head was round, his eyes very large and animated, nose a little long, hair fair, and face laughing and merry. Thus his appearance was always stately and dignified, whether he was standing or sitting; although his neck was thick and somewhat short, and his belly rather prominent; but the symmetry of the rest of his body concealed these defects. His gait was firm, his whole carriage manly, and his voice clear, but not so strong as his size led one to expect.
During 773 Charlemagne and his uncle Bernard crossed the Alps and followed the Lombards up to Pavia, where they besieged in 774 when Charlemagne visited the pope in Rome and the pope granted him the title patrician.
The Lombards surrendered and Charlemagne had himself crowned with the Iron Crown. He became the king of the Lombards and therefore the master of Italy.
In 776, Dukes Hrodgaud of Friuli and Hildeprand of Spoleto rebelled but Charlemagne defeated the duke of Friuli and the duke of Spoleto signed a treaty.
|
