10. Charlemagne and Desiderata’s break-up led to war – and laid the foundations for the Papal States
Over the centuries, the breakdown of romantic relationships has caused whole families to fall out, and even fight. And so it was with the end of Charlemagne and Desiderata’s love affair. The pair married in the year 770, probably more out of political expedience than love. Charlemagne was King of the Franks, while his bride was the daughter of Desiderius, King of the Lombards. Since the Lombards and the Franks had been enemy states for many years, the union was seen as an effective way of ensuing peace.
Quite why Charlemagne and Desiderata got divorced remains something of an historical mystery (indeed, some scholars even debate whether they actually got married or if they only planned to). Nevertheless, the annulment of the union in 771 brought relations between the Franks and the Lombards to a head. The animosity and mistrust boiled over for months. Then, in 773, the two rivals met at the Battle of Pavia. Charlemagne won that fight and from then on, he was King of the Franks and the Lombards. Notably, he recognized the authority of the Pope, laying the foundations for the Medieval Papal States.