RISE OF THE CAROLINGIANS in Gaul
     CLOVIS: King of Franks, baptized Catholic (not Arian)
     Mayors of Royal Palace under Merovingian dynasty
       Pepin I & II; Charles Martel (Battle of Poitiers, 723)
     Coup under Pepin III in 75l: Papacy condones action

FRANCO - PAPAL ALLIANCE:            Papal motives include
      Iconoclastic controversy: Eastern Empire perceived
            as heretical by Rome because of anti-images policy
      Lombard military threat: 751 Ravenna conquered
      753 Lombards threaten Rome; no assistance from Empire

      Papal overtures to Franks:  751 advice on Pepin's coup
      754 Pope Steven II flees Lombards to Frankland, gives Pepin
          Imperial title of patricius romanorum = Roman patrician
          anoints Pepin & sons at St. Denis outside Paris

     755 Franks defeat Lombards in Italy,
            DONATION OF PEPIN gift to Papacy of Italian lands
             = PATRIMONY OF ST. PETER, start of Papal State
             (Donation of Constantine possibly forged c. 750)

DONATION OF CONSTANTINE:
            letter from Constantine to Pope Silvester I, dated 315:
            Imperial power in Rome and Western provinces of Empire
                    granted to Pope = "official" basis for claims of secular power
- probably 8th C forgery (circa 750, papal tension with Byzantium and
            Franco-Papal alliance, modeled on actual "Donation of Pepin")

Rome: Basilica of the Santi Quattro Coronati [Four Holy Crowned Ones]
            13th C. frescoes depicting Pope Silvester's curing of Charlemagne
                       and granting of temporal authoroity to the Pope

CHARLEMAGNE 768-814 (son of Pepin III)
      Warrior King: meets nobles each spring on "Field of Mars"
            774 campaign in Italy, deposes last of Lombard Kings
                  takes title of "King of Franks & Lombards"
            campaigns against Moslems, Avars, Saxons; by 800 holds
             all Europe except southern Italy & Anglo Saxon England

      Papal alliance: reinstates Pope Leo III after revolt by
             Roman nobility; crowned Emperor of Romans by Pope 800

      Imperial ambitions: desire to rival Eastern Empire, to
            establish "New Rome" at Aachen; Carolingian Renaissance

      Treaty of Aachen 812: Eastern Empire recognizes his title
            after initial resistance & military conflict

CAROLINGIAN SUCCESSION: fragmentation of Charlemagne's Empire

      814 - 840  Louis the Pious: Charlemagne's only surviving son
      840   civil war among sons of Louis

      843   TREATY OF VERDUN: settlement & division of Empire
                  Louis the German: Eastern third of Empire
                  Charles the Bald: Western third (later France)

                  Lothar: Imperial title, Kingdom of Italy and the
                        "middle kingdom": from Burgundy, Netherlands,
                         through Alsace, Lorraine, Switzerland, Italy
                   - subordination of Italy to Frankish interests
      844-875 Louis II: only Carolingian to govern & defend Italy
                   especially against growing Arab/Saracen attacks