The Holy Roman Empire ~  800

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     To commemorate the 1200th anniversary of the crowning of Charlemagne (742-814) as Emperor of the Romans in 800, Croatia issued a souvenir sheet with a map of the Empire in brown, with special identification of Croatia.
     The sheet features a map of the Holy Roman Empire, an ninth century equestrian statue of Charlemagne (the horse is from the fifteenth century), and three other images, two of two horse riders each, and one of a building. One of the riders is wearing a mitre and may represent Pope Leo III who crowned Charles. The building in the lower right corner is the pre-Romanesque church of St. Donatus in Zadar on the Adriatic coast of Croatia, as it was in the ninth century.
     When Charlemagne was crowned in 800 Brittany was not a part of the Holy Roman Empire. It was incorporated by the time of Charlemagne's death in 814, so the map is incorrect in showing Brittany as part of Charlemagne's empire at the time of his coronation on Christmas Eve, 800.

SCN 445

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