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He resided at Aachen for most of his later years.
Charlemagne (circa 742-814 CE), also known as Charles the Great, was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Carolingian Empire from 800. 2nd ed. Daily Life in the World of Charlemagne.
Charlemagne also joined Pepin on many military campaigns. Under these circumstances relations between the brothers turned sour.
Territorial expansion
Charlemagne moved aggressively, especially in Italy, to remove those who threatened his power. This region served as a defensive frontier and a launching point for future Christian reconquests in the peninsula.
Another significant campaign was Charlemagne’s conquest of the Avars, a nomadic people who controlled the Pannonian Basin (modern-day Hungary).
Although his parents married before his brother Carloman was born, they were not legally married at the time of Charlemagne's birth, and he was thus thought to be illegitimate (born out of wedlock). The Saxons were fiercely independent and resistant to Christianization, which made them a target for Charlemagne’s ambitions. He eventually forced the Saxons to convert to Christianity, and declared that anyone who didn’t get baptized or follow other Christian traditions be put to death.
Charlemagne’s Family
In his personal life, Charlemagne had multiple wives and mistresses and perhaps as many as 18 children.
Charlemagne was born in 742 to Pepin the Short and Bertrada. The division of the kingdom was intended to prevent disputes between the brothers, but it led to tensions instead.
The relationship between Charlemagne and Carloman was strained from the start. While this act demonstrated Charlemagne’s commitment to Christianizing his empire, it also highlighted the often brutal methods he employed to achieve his goals.
One of the major purposes was to provide an educated clergy (a group of religious servants) that could undertake many of the administrative tasks of government. Charlemagne’s efforts to revive the Roman Empire and his establishment of the Carolingian Renaissance had a lasting impact on European culture and education. The tension between them escalated, threatening to fracture the unity of the Frankish kingdom.
The Carolingian Empire’s borders and administrative divisions set the stage for the development of the modern states of Europe, and many of the political boundaries established during Charlemagne’s reign continued to influence European geopolitics for centuries.
Charlemagne
Charlemagne's Early Years
Charlemagne—sometimes referred to as Charles the Great—was born around 742, the son of Bertrada of Laon (d.783) and Pepin the Short (d.768), who became king of the Franks in 751.
Charlemagne’s exact birthplace is unknown, although historians have suggested Liege in present-day Belgium and Aachen in modern-day Germany as possible locations.
Charlemagne’s early rule was characterized by his strong leadership and military prowess. Charlemagne was likely raised in a court environment rich in Christian doctrine, where the importance of the Church was emphasized as central to governance.
He achieved these ends through forming a political alliance with the rival power of the papacy and the strengthening of fuedal institutions. His coronation as Emperor by Pope Leo III in 800 is seen as the foundation of the Holy Roman Empire, symbolizing the alliance between the Frankish monarchy and the papacy.
Charlemagne attempted to create unity and harmony within his vast realm and to support laws and promote learning that would achieve his goals of the empire.
Though his empire would eventually fragment after his death, the legacy of Charlemagne endured, shaping the history of Europe for generations.