Louis the Pious
Emperor of the Carolingian Empire from AD 813 to 840 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Louis the Pious?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Louis the Pious[lower-alpha 4] (Latin: Hludowicus Pius; German: Ludwig der Fromme; French: Louis le Pieux; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840),[2] also called the Fair and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aquitaine from 781. As the only surviving son of Charlemagne and Hildegard, he became the sole ruler of the Franks after his father's death in 814, a position that he held until his death except from November 833 to March 834, when he was deposed.
Louis the Pious | |
---|---|
Emperor of the Romans | |
Emperor of the Carolingian Empire | |
Reign | 813–840[lower-alpha 1] |
Coronation | 11 September 813[lower-alpha 2] 5 October 816[lower-alpha 3] |
Predecessor | Charlemagne |
Successor | Lothair I |
King of the Franks | |
Reign | 814–840 |
Predecessor | Charlemagne |
Successor |
|
King of Aquitaine | |
Reign | 781–814 |
Predecessor | Charlemagne as King of the Franks |
Successor | Pepin I |
Born | 16 April 778 Cassinogilum |
Died | 20 June 840(840-06-20) (aged 61–62) Ingelheim |
Burial | |
Spouses | Ermengarde of Hesbaye Judith of Bavaria |
Issue | |
House | Carolingian |
Father | Charlemagne |
Mother | Hildegarde |
Religion | Chalcedonian Christianity |
During his reign in Aquitaine, Louis was charged with the defence of the empire's southwestern frontier. He conquered Barcelona from the Emirate of Córdoba in 801 and asserted Frankish authority over Pamplona and the Basques south of the Pyrenees in 812. As emperor, he included his adult sons, Lothair, Pepin and Louis, in the government and sought to establish a suitable division of the realm among them. The first decade of his reign was characterised by several tragedies and embarrassments, notably the brutal treatment of his nephew Bernard of Italy for which Louis atoned in a public act of self-debasement.
In the 830s his empire was torn by civil war between his sons that was only exacerbated by Louis's attempts to include his son Charles by his second wife in the succession plans. Though his reign ended on a high note, with order largely restored to his empire, it was followed by three years of civil war. Louis is generally compared unfavourably to his father but faced distinctly different problems.[3]