V752-903
The Carolingian Papacy
The Frankish bargain: popes crown emperors, emperors defend popes, and the Papal States are born.
Popes No. 92-117
When Lombard armies stood at Rome's gates in 752 and Constantinople sent no help, Stephen II crossed the Alps and knelt before Pepin the Frank instead. The deal struck there re-founded the papacy as a territorial power: Frankish swords carved out the Papal States, and in exchange the popes offered the one thing no warrior king could mint for himself, legitimacy.
Christmas Day 800, when Leo III set an imperial crown on Charlemagne's head, is the era in a single scene. It was a masterstroke and a trap: the popes had made themselves indispensable to emperors, and emperors would spend centuries concluding that this made the popes theirs to manage.
The world at the time
- 800
politicalCoronation of Charlemagne
On Christmas Day, Leo III crowns Charlemagne emperor in St. Peter's, binding papacy and empire for seven centuries.
- 863
schismThe Photian Schism
Rome and Constantinople excommunicate over the see of Constantinople, rehearsing the arguments of the final rupture of 1054.
Popes of this era
Stephen IINo. 92 · 752-757- Paul INo. 93 · 757-767
- Stephen IIINo. 94 · 768-772
- Adrian INo. 95 · 772-795
- Leo IIINo. 96 · 796-816
- Stephen IVNo. 97 · 816-817
- Paschal INo. 98 · 817-824
- Eugene IINo. 99 · 824-827
- ValentineNo. 100 · 827
- Gregory IVNo. 101 · 827-844
- Sergius IINo. 102 · 844-847
- Leo IVNo. 103 · 847-855
- Benedict IIINo. 104 · 855-858
- Nicholas INo. 105 · 858-867
- Adrian IINo. 106 · 867-872
- John VIIINo. 107 · 872-882
- Marinus INo. 108 · 882-884
- Adrian IIINo. 109 · 884-885
- Stephen VNo. 110 · 885-891
- FormosusNo. 111 · 891-896
- Boniface VINo. 112 · 896
- Stephen VINo. 113 · 896-897
- RomanusNo. 114 · 897
- Theodore IINo. 115 · 897
- John IXNo. 116 · 898-900
- Benedict IVNo. 117 · 900-903