Charlemagne

Charlemagne, whose name means Charles the Great, became king of the Franks in 768. Through many years of campaigns he conquered the Lombards in Italy, the Saxons in Germany, and Bavaria, and fought the Avars and the Muslim rulers of Spain, bringing most of western Europe under one ruler for the first time since Rome. His wars against the Saxons were long and harsh and included forced conversions. On Christmas Day 800, Pope Leo III crowned him emperor in Rome. Charlemagne could read but struggled to write, yet he brought scholars such as Alcuin of York to his court at Aachen, founded schools, and encouraged the careful copying of ancient books in a clear new handwriting called Carolingian minuscule. Many Latin classics survive today because they were copied in his time. He also standardized coins and weights and sent officials to check on local rulers. His friend Einhard wrote a short biography of him. He died at Aachen in 814, and his empire was divided among his grandsons.

Faith: Christian king of the Franks who promoted the renewal of Christian society and learning. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica