# Charlemagne Crowned Emperor (800)

URL: https://germany-history.com/timeline/800-charlemagne-crowned-emperor
Location: Rome
Categories: ruler-change, main-event

On Christmas Day 800 Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne emperor of the Romans in St Peter's Basilica. For the first time since 476 the West had an emperor. The imperial title later passed to the German kings and became the basis of the Holy Roman Empire.

## Why it matters
It created the medieval idea of a Western Christian empire tied to German kingship.

Ruler at the time: [Charlemagne](https://germany-history.com/rulers/charlemagne)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia – Charlemagne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica – Charlemagne](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charlemagne)