ABSTRACT
European king who built the Frankish Empire, which provided the foundations for the medieval kingdoms ofFrance and Germany. Charlemagne’s close relations with and support of the pope, leader of the Roman Catholic Church, set a precedent for later medieval rulers, who also supported and earned recognition from the church. Crowned emperor of the Romans in 800, Charlemagne attempted to restore the power of the ancient Roman Empire, an ideal reflected in his political notions and his patronage of the arts and learning. Charlemagne stands as the most important secular, or nonreligious, figure of the early Middle Ages. His leadership and the religious, political, and social changes he implemented left an enduring stamp on the character of medieval Europe.
