On Christmas Day, in 800
Charlemagne was crowned emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo, in Rome. Wanting to recreate the Roman Empire of the past, defeated the Saxons in 804, subdued the Bohemians in 805 and annihilated the Danes and their allies, the Saxons from 808 to 810. In 811, made his testament sure that the empire he had created would last as much as the original Roman Empire.
Unfortunately couldn’t defend themselves against looters who arrived after his death: aggressors Vikings, Magyars and Muslims brought death and destruction to almost all parts of the former Carolingian Empire.
The Franks were more successful in Eastern Europe. Charlemagne invaded Lombardy for the second time, in 708, and he declared his son King of the Lombards. Undertook a punitive war against Britain in 786 and won the Bavaria from 787 to 788. Then he turned to the Avars, a warrior tribe located in Danube; for Franks, it was as if the Huns had returned. Charlemagne has completely eliminated the nation of Avars between 791 and 796; using the fabulous treasure of his defeated foes, began to build the beautiful capital of Aachen.
Charlemagne marched to the mountains of the Pyrenees in 778, but couldn’t overcome the Muslim defenses. Returning, offended the Christian Basques of Navarre. They attacked and destroyed the rearguard of Charlemagne, that was led by his nephew Roland, in Roncesvalles, on August 15, 778; after the battle was celebrated in poetry and music in the song “Le Chanson de Roland” (The Song of Roland). Charlemagne built a chain of forts along the border and nevermore ventured into Spain.
“It would be folly, I think, to write a word concerning Charles’ birth and infancy, or even his boyhood, for nothing has ever been written on the subject, and there is no one alive now who can give information on it. Accordingly, I determined to pass that by as unknown, and to proceed at once to treat of his character, his deed, and such other facts of his life as are worth telling and setting forth, and shall first give an account of his deed at home and abroad, then of his character and pursuits, and lastly of his administration and death, omitting nothing worth knowing or necessary to know.”
Einhard about the early life of Charlemagne.
“He used to wear the national, that is to say, the Frank, dress-next his skin a linen shirt and linen breeches, and above these a tunic fringed with silk; while hose fastened by bands covered his lower limbs, and shoes his feet, and he protected his shoulders and chest in winter by a close-fitting coat of otter or marten skins.”
Clothing description of Charlemagne by Einhard.
Charlemagne - appearance
What we know about the appearance of Charlemagne is described in a biography written shortly after his death by the monk Einhard.
“Charles was large and strong, and of lofty stature, though not disproportionately tall (his height is well known to have been seven times the length of his foot); the upper part of his head was round, his eyes very large and animated, nose a little long, hair fair, and face laughing and merry.”
The physical portrait provided by Einhard is confirmed by contemporary depictions of the emperor, such as coins and his 8-inch (20 cm) bronze statue kept in the Louvre. In 1861, Charlemagne’s tomb was opened by scientists who reconstructed his skeleton and estimated it to be measured 74.9 in (190 cm). An estimate his height from an X-ray and CT Scan of his tibia performed in 2010 is 1.84 m (72 in). This puts him in the 99th percentile of tall people of his period, given that average male height of his time was 1.69 m (67 in). The width of the bone suggested he was gracile but not robust in body build.
Pretty medieval manuscript of the day is another depiction of the adoration of the magi, in acknowledgement of the feast of Epiphany on Sunday. This image is from the St Louis Psalter, a manuscript dating from the late twelfth/early thirteenth century.
Image source: Image declared as public domain on Wikimedia Commons because its copyright has expired.
