LONGOBARDS AND FRANCS
During the confusion of the 6th century, the Germanic Lombard tribe was pushed south-west into Italy. Rome successfully defended itself against them, but in the 8th century. The Lombards already ruled a large part of the Apennine Peninsula. The Franks came from Gaul in the middle of this century. As Orthodox Christians, they could be accepted by the Gallo-Roman aristocracy. so they quickly assimilated and took up many positions in the provincial administration. The Franks were ruled by the Merovingian dynasty, but the real power gradually passed into the hands of the majordoms of the palace, the Carolingians.. Under the leadership of Pepin the Short, they considered it beneficial to support the papacy., generously bestowing upon Rome and converting pagans under duress in the territories they conquered. When Pepin decided to overthrow the Merovingians and become king of the Franks, asked the Pope for a blessing; Successor of St.. Peter willingly agreed to this, anointing the new Franconian king with holy oil.
This alliance was beneficial to both sides. W 755 r. the Pope called on the Franconian army to fight the Lombards. The Franks forced them to contribute and give back 22 cities and castles, which became the northern part of the ecclesiastical state Pepin died in 768 r. as a creditor of the Church. As was customary, he divided the kingdom between two sons, one of which died within three years. The second son was Charlemagne, that is, Charlemagne.
This intelligent and resourceful leader became the king of the Franks and Lombards, as well as a patrician of Rome, after the final war with the Lombards in 774 r. On Christmas Day 800 r. Pope Leo III expressed his gratitude to Charlemagne for his political support by crowning him Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, this investiture forged a link between the fate of Italy and northern Europe.. When Charlemagne died, all of Italy from the areas south of Rome to Lombardy, including Sardinia, were already part of the vast Carolingian Empire. Beyond its reach lay Sicily and the southern coast, which the Tunisian Arabs gradually conquered, and Apulia to Calabria, were colonized by the Byzantines and Greeks.
The task of maintaining these gains proved beyond the power of Charlemagne's successors, and with the beginning of the 10th century. the family died out and the rival Italian states fell prey, for which the western and eastern Frankish kingdoms applied. W 936 r. the scales of victory turned to Otto, King of the East Franks. The political break-up in Italy gave him an excuse to intervene and 962 year he was crowned emperor; son and grandson of Otto (Otton II i Otton III) they sealed the rebirth of the Holy Roman Empire.