The name Charlemagne (English: /ˈʃɑːrləmeɪn, ˌʃɑːrləˈmeɪn/ SHAR-lə-mayn, -⁠MAYN), by which the emperor is normally known in English, comes from the French Charles-le-magne, meaning "Charles the Great". In modern … See more

Charlemagne had eighteen children with seven of his ten known wives or concubines. Nonetheless, he had only four legitimate … See more

Conquest of the Lombard kingdom
At his succession in 772, Pope Adrian I demanded the return of certain cities in the former exarchate of Ravenna in accordance with a promise at the succession of Desiderius. Instead, Desiderius took over … See more

By the 6th century, the western Germanic tribe of the Franks had been Christianised, due in considerable measure to the Catholic conversion of See more

Early life
The most likely date of Charlemagne's birth is reconstructed from several sources. The date of 742—calculated from Einhard's … See more

Vasconia and the Pyrenees
The destructive war led by Pepin in Aquitaine, although brought to a satisfactory conclusion for the Franks, proved the Frankish … See more

Saxon Wars
Charlemagne was engaged in almost constant warfare throughout his reign, often at the head of his elite scara bodyguard squadrons. In the Saxon Wars, spanning thirty years and eighteen battles, he conquered See more