Charlemagne ~ Holy Roman Emperor

     Charlemagne ~ Holy Roman Emperor was born on 2 April 747 at Aachen (Aix-la-Chapell), North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7} He was the son of Pépin the Short , King of the Franks and Bertha Broadfoot. More is known about Charlemagne than most medieval rulers because of a biography written by Einhard, a friend of his son Louis the Pious. This biography describes Charlemagne as more than six feet tall, with piercing eyes, fair hair, a thick neck, and a potbelly. He was strong, fond of exercise, and had an alert mind and a forceful personality. Charlemagne could read and speak Latin, the language of educated people of the time. However, he never learned to write it.⁸ Charlemagne was crowned the King of the Franks in 767.^1,2 When Pépin the Short died in 768, the Frankish lands were divided according to ancient Frankinsh law and tradition between Pépin's sons Carloman and Charles. During the next three years until Carloman's death in 771, relations between the two brothers were sometimes strained. In 774, Charles "the Great" or Karolus Magnus, more widely known as Charlemagne, conquered Lombardy and confirmed his father's donation of the Papal States. Charlemagne added Bavaria to his realm, and eventually defeated the Saxons and forced them to convert to Christianity. Charlemagne also waged war in Spain. He was returning from an expedition there in 778 when a mountain people called the Basques ambushed and wiped out his rear guard. This incident became the subject of the famous epic poem The Song of Roland, however, the ambushers were the Moors.

Charlemagne ~ Holy Roman Emperor married Desiderata of the Lombards, daughter of Desiderius King of the Lombards and Ansa , Queen of the Lombards, in 770. Desiderata was married to Charlemagne in 770, in order for him to create a bond between Francia and the Kingdom of the Lombards and attempt to isolate his brother Carloman I who ruled over the central territories of Francia. The marriage lasted just one year and there are no known children from the marriage.^8,9

Charlemagne ~ Holy Roman Emperor married Hildegarde ~ Countess in Linzgau, daughter of Gerold ~ Count in the Vinzgau and Emma of Allemania, in 771 at Aachen (Aix-la-Chapell), North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.^1,2,6,7,8

Charlemagne ~ Holy Roman Emperor married Fastrada in 783.⁸

Charlemagne ~ Holy Roman Emperor married Luitgard in 794.⁸ Charlemagne ~ Holy Roman Emperor and Himiltrude were in a relationship that produced offspring in 798.⁸ Charlemagne ~ Holy Roman Emperor and unknown partner were in a relationship that produced offspring. Charlemagne ~ Holy Roman Emperor died on 28 January 814 at Aachen (Aix-la-Chapell), North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, at age 66.^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7} He was buried at Aachen (Aix-la-Chapell), North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

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