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CHARLEMAGNE FACTS

Charlemagne was the King of Franks and the Holy Roman Emperor, also known as Charles I, and as one
of the Middle Age’s greatest leaders. He was born April 2, 742, to Pepin the Short (King of the Franks),
and Bertrada of Laon, likely in Germany – although his exact place of birth is unknown. When
Charlemagne’s father died he left the empire to Charlemagne and his brother Carloman, but Carloman

died before a battle for rule could ever begin. Charlemagne extended the Frankish Empire to include
most of today’s Germany.

The Franks originally Germanic tribes that occupied much for the region of what is France today. In 800
CE Charlemagne visited Rome, Pope Leo III crowned him Emperor of the Romans over the Holy Roman
Empire.

INTERESTING CHARLEMAGNE FACTS

 Charlemagne has these characteristics: smart, tough, aggressive, and cunning as much as he
was a brilliant military leader.
 The title of Emperor of the Romans of the Holy Roman Empire was largely a non-power titled
but it led to him being highly respected throughout most of Europe.
 Charlemagne was given the title Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire on a holiday – Christmas
Day.
 Charlemagne was married to at least five different women throughout his life.
 Charlemagne is often referred to as the ‘Father of Europe’, because he founded both the French
Empire and the German Empire.
 Charlemagne divorced his first wife Desiderata within a year of their marriage. He then married
13-year old Hildegard in 771. As his marriages continued he went on to have as many as 18
children by several wives.
 Charlemagne was known as a very strong leader. He is considered one of the greatest leaders of
the Middle Ages. As he gained control of territories he left Frankish nobility to rule them.
 Charlemagne would leave local customs and laws to remain in place after gaining control of
territories, and made sure they were written down and recorded. As part of Charlemagne’s
administrative efforts he ensured that laws in the territories were enforced.
 One area of influence of Charlemagne was in respect to church music. He also was involved in
civil works and encouraged the cultivation and planting of various fruit trees.
 Charlemagne essentially ruled most of Western Europe from 768 to 841. He had a goal to unite
all Germanic tribes and convert his people to Christianity.
 Much of Charlemagne’s rule involved warfare as he sought to unite Germanic people.
 Charlemagne believed that children should be educated, and encouraged the education of his
daughters as well as his sons.
 It has been written that Charlemagne loved his daughters too much to let them get married
while he was still living.
 Charlemagne enjoyed leisure activities such as swimming, horseback riding, and hunting.
 Charlemagne was instrumental in pushing a standardized form of writing – which was the basis
for many modern printed European alphabets.

 Charlemagne crowned Loius the Pious (his son) as co-emperor, and King of Aquitaine, 813.
Charlemagne’s health had begun to fail and he refused to listen to the doctors about his diet.
 Charlemagne died in January, 814, and his son Louis the Pious became emperor. In the years
that followed the empire was divided among heirs and eventually dissolv