Daily Medieval

The Ottonians, the Ottonian dynasty, the Ottonian Period in Germany—all these refer to the same topic: a Saxon dynasty of German monarchs (t...

Gesta Francorum et aliorum Hierosolimitanorum (Latin: "Deeds of the Franks and the other pilgrims to Jerusalem"), also known simp...

The Merovingians were the predecessors of the Carolingians (Charlemagne's family) and can be considered the founders of France. I've...

Desiderius, from a 15th century miniature I mentioned here how Charlemagne fought and defeated Desiderius, King of the Lombards, and s...

Much is made of Charlemagne and his unification and christianization of much of Western Europe. What is the other side of the story, however...

Gold coin depicting Clothar II The Edict of Paris, an outline of laws and rights in the kingdom of the Franks, has been called "the...

Bertrada of Laon Properly speaking, the Carolingian Era started with Carolus Martellus, Charles "the Hammer" Martel (c.688-741...

Kings cannot run every administrative detail of their household themselves, so they appoint people to do it for them. Chamberlain, senescha...

What do you do when a dynasty seems to become useless? You name them Le Rois fainéants (The do-nothing Kings). The Merovingians are the...

Chilperic I speaking to Bishop Gregory Georgius Florentius (539-593) was born into a distinguished Gallo-Roman family in Arverni in s...

The announcement for the First Crusade was made from Clermont in France. The name "Clermont" came from the Latin clarus mons (cl...