<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> Charlemagne (/ ˈʃɑːrlɪmeɪn /) or Charles the Great (2 April 742--28 January 814), numbered Charles I, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 . He united much of Europe during the early Middle Ages . He was the first recognised emperor in western Europe since the fall of the Western Roman Empire three centuries earlier . The expanded Frankish state that Charlemagne founded is called the Carolingian Empire . </P> <P> Charlemagne was the oldest son of Pepin the Short and Bertrada of Laon, having been born before their canonical marriage . He became king in 768 following his father's death, initially as co-ruler with his brother Carloman I. Carloman's sudden death in December 771 under unexplained circumstances left Charlemagne as the sole, undisputed ruler of the Frankish Kingdom . He continued his father's policy towards the papacy and became its protector, removing the Lombards from power in northern Italy and leading an incursion into Muslim Spain . He campaigned against the Saxons to his east, Christianising them upon penalty of death and leading to events such as the Massacre of Verden . Charlemagne reached the height of his power in 800 when he was crowned Emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo III on Christmas Day at Rome's Old St. Peter's Basilica . </P>

Who built a european empire and was crowned emperor of the romans in 800