Charlemagne
United most of western Europe and was crowned emperor by the pope in Rome on Christmas Day 800; from Aachen he fostered the Carolingian Renaissance.
| Lived | c. AD 742 – AD 814 |
| Known as | King of the Franks and emperor |
| Birthplace or main place | Aachen |
| Places on the map | Aachen, Rome |
AachenSee the world of Charlemagne in the interactive map
Who ruled these places in his lifetime
| Place | At birth (map of AD 700) | At death (map of AD 800) |
|---|---|---|
| Aachen | Frankish Kingdom | Carolingian Empire |
| Rome | Eastern Roman Empire | Papal States |
From the border maps nearest to each date; borders are approximate.
Events in his lifetime
| Year | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| AD 796 | Charlemagne builds the Palatine Chapel | Aachen |
| AD 814 | Charlemagne dies at Aachen and is buried here | Aachen |
| AD 800 | Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne in St Peter's | Rome |
Battles and sites of the time
- Lindisfarne · AD 793
Further reading
Contemporaries
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| c. AD 763 – AD 809 | Harun al-Rashid | Abbasid caliph |
| c. AD 780 – AD 850 | al-Khwarizmi | Mathematician |
| AD 712 – AD 770 | Du Fu | Poet |
| AD 701 – AD 762 | Li Bai | Poet |
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.