Charlemagne Dies at Aachen
Charlemagne had ruled the Franks since 768, conquered the Lombard kingdom, campaigned across central Europe, and received an imperial coronation in Rome in 800. His government relied on itinerant royal authority, regional counts, written capitularies, and inspectors who linked the court to a large and diverse realm. After falling ill at Aachen, Charlemagne died on January 28, 814, and was buried in the palace chapel there. His only surviving legitimate son, Louis the Pious, succeeded him as emperor. The transition preserved the empire in the short term, although later disputes among Louis's heirs fractured Carolingian political unity.