TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > History > Carolignians and Italy
Why did the carolingians intervene in Italy?
- Rich area, needed to expand, Lombards key pol opponents
- Expedition to Italy due to R pol inheritance. Importance of ritual / imperial legitimisation to dignify Franks above barbarians Italy important in asserting links with R past + imperial pretensions.
- Also Christianity (kings presiding over church connecting workable R inheritance). Papal support and legitimisation were vital.
- Papacy huge landowner but problems à needed Frankish help for secualr power (Noble).
- Also culture a packageable part of R tradition (e.g. Aachen chapel).
- Presidence over church more important than model of Augustan / R administration; C as transferable peace of R inheritance.
- Eventually dried out due to pol fragmentation and decline in value of Franco-papal alliance. Exchange of military for spiritual support became a luxury which was no longer affordable.
Why did the papacy turn from Byzantium to the Franks?
- Byzantium rather too busy (maintaining Co against Arabs / trouble in Balkans
mean nothing to W church, but to Byz Italy / Lombards a poor third).
- E Emperors no longer able to provide support.
- Liber Pontificalis (bit like a parish magazine looking inwards at Rome and Roman culture doesnt see beyond city and its churches) indicates that Co and Byz no longer part of the picture by C8 Franks closer and more relevant. Rome still has a vital sense of itself.
- Franks had time for and interest in clerical world of W.
- £ and ideological advantages of dealing with popes were crucial for Franks.
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