Charlemagne Arrives in Rome to Judge the Pope
Charlemagne arrived in Rome on November 23, 800, to adjudicate charges that Pope Leo III had committed perjury and adultery. Leo had been physically attacked by rivals in the papal court the previous year and had fled to Charlemagne's court for protection. The Frankish king's investigation cleared the pope, establishing the precedent that no earthly authority could judge the pope, only the pope could judge himself. In return, Leo crowned Charlemagne Emperor of the Romans on Christmas Day, December 25, 800. The coronation created a new Western Roman Empire, challenging Byzantine Constantinople's claim to be the sole heir of Rome. Whether Charlemagne expected or welcomed the crown is debated; the Frankish scholar Einhard claimed he would not have entered the church had he known. The event shaped European politics for the next millennium.
November 23, 800
1226 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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