Charlemagne

“Charlemagne, the Frankish King” In the Eighth century Vikings, savages, and barbarians ruled Europe. The only unified kingdom in Europe at the time was Frankland, which included present day parts of Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. By the Ninth century, however, Frankland included most of Europe thanks to Charles the Great, or Charlemagne. He was one of the greatest kings that Europe has ever known. Charles, the first of two boys, was born in 742 …

…In 813, Charles crowns his only surviving son, Louis the Pious, Emperor. In 814, at the age of 71, Charles dies of natural causes. Charles ruled most of Europe - he was Emperor of Rome, King of the Franks, Saxons, Lombards, and Bavarians. His support for learning, science, and literature and his efforts to make the church a powerful force for unity and scholarship left an undeniable mark on the generations that succeeded him. Charles truly was great.