Charlemagne's Carolingian Renaissance

Charlemagne (r. 768 – 814) was one of the most important kings in medieval European history. He waged constant wars during his long reign in the name of converting non-Christian Germans and in the name of seizing loot for his followers. His conquests gave rise to the concept of the Holy Roman Empire, a huge state that was nominally [in name] controlled by a single powerful emperor directly tied to the pope's authority in Rome. In 800, Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III, a title no one had held since Western Rome fell in 476 (although the Byzantine emperors considered themselves to be the true successors of Rome). In truth, only under Charlemagne was the Empire a truly united state, but the concept (with various emperors exercising at least some degree of authority) survived until 1806, when it was finally permanently dismantled by Napoleon. Like the western Roman Empire that it succeeded, the Holy Roman Empire lasted almost exactly 1,000 years.

Charlemagne's attempts to reform the empire are often referred to as the Carolingian Renaissance (meaning "rebirth"). His reforms spanned various areas of social and political life, including the church, education, and the administration of the empire. Use the tabs to explore some of his reforms and legacies.