Charlemagne

For ither uises, see Charlemagne (disambiguation).

Charlemagne (/ˈʃɑːrlᵻmeɪn/; 2 Apryle 742/747/748^[1] – 28 Januar 814), kent as Charles the Great (German: Karl der Große;^[2] [Carolus or Karolus Magnus] error: {{lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)) or Charles I, wis the Keeng o the Franks frae 768, the Keeng o Italy frae 774, an frae 800 the first emperor in wastren Europe syne the collapse o the Wastren Roman Empire three centuries earlier. The expandit Frankish state he foondit is cried the Carolingian Empire.

Charles the Great
A coin o Charlemagne wi the inscription KAROLVS IMP AVG (Karolus Imperator Augustus)
Emperor an Augustus
Ring	25 Dizember 800 – 28 Januar 814
Coronation	25 Dizember 800 Auld St. Peter's Basilica, Roum
Predecessor	Position Established
Successor	Louis I
Keeng o the Lombards
Ring	10 Julie 774 – 28 Januar 814
Coronation	10 Julie 774 Pavia
Predecessor	Desiderius
Successor	Louis I
Keeng o the Franks
Reing	9 October 768 – 28 Januar 814
Coronation	9 October 768 Noyon
Predecessor	Pepin the Short
Successor	Louis I
Born	2 Apryle 742/747/748[1] Liège, Frankish Kinrick
Dee'd	28 Januar 814(814-01-28) (aged 71) Aachen, Holy Roman Empire
Buirial	Aachen Cathedral
Spouse	Desiderata (770–771) Hildegard (771–783) Fastrada (784–794) Luitgard (794–800)
Issue Amang ithers	Charles, Keeng o the Franks Pepin, Keeng o the Lombards Louis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Hoose	Carolingian
Faither	Pepin the Short
Mither	Bertrada o Laon
Releegion	Roman Catholicism

The auldest son o Pepin the Short an Bertrada o Laon, Charlemagne became king in 768 follaein the daith o his faither. He wis initially co-ruler wi his brither Carloman I. Carloman's sudden daith in 771 unner unexplained circumstances left Charlemagne as the undisputit ruler o the Frankish Kinrick. Charlemagne continued his faither's policy towards the papacy an became its protector, remuivin the Lombards frae pouer in northren Italy, an leadin a incursion intae Muslim Spain. He campaigned against the fowks tae his east an aw, Christianisin thaim upon penalty o daith, at times leadin tae events such as the Massacre o Verden. Charlemagne reached the hicht o his pouer in 800 when he wis crouned as "Emperor" bi Pape Leo III on Christenmas Day at Auld St. Peter's Basilica.

Cried the "Faither o Europe" (pater Europae),^[3] Charlemagne's empire unitit maist o Wastren Europe for the first time syne the Roman Empire. His rule spurred the Carolingian Renaissance, a period o cultural an intellectual activity athin the Catholic Kirk. Baith the French and German monarchies considered their kinricks tae be stryndants o Charlemagne's empire.

Charlemagne dee'd in 814 efter haein ruled as Emperor for juist ower thirteen years. He wis laid tae rest in his imperial caipital o Aachen in the day's Germany. His son Louis the Pious succeedit him as Emperor.