Charlemagne

Charlemagne was the king of the Franks, and was later the Holy Roman Emperor. He formed the Frankish Empire which dominated most of Europe in the 9th century. After being crowned Emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo III in 800 AD, he rejuvenated the artistic, religious and cultural aspects of European society through the medium of the Catholic Church. Born to King Pepin the Short and the Frankish Queen, Batrata of León, he succeeded his father and co-ruled the kingdom with his brother Carloman I until Carloman's death in 771 AD. Charlemagne was a firm believer in the Christian faith and the Papacy, and under his rule the ruling Lombards of Italy were defeated and he became the protector of Italy and the Papacy. He also conquered lands in Eastern Europe, particularly Saxon lands, and subjected the people to his rule by forcibly converting them to Christianity. He is known as the Father of Europe as he unified most of Western Europe during his reign in a way that had not been seen since the Roman Empire. He died after suffering an episode of pleurisy after an extended hunting trip, and was succeeded by his only remaining legitimate son, Louis the Pious.