Which statement correctly describes Charlemagne's imperial coronation?
He was crowned emperor by the pope in Rome in the year 800.✓Correct answer
He was crowned emperor by the eastern emperor in the eastern capital in the year 800.
He was crowned emperor by the pope at Aachen in the year 1066.
He was proclaimed emperor by his own nobles at Aachen in the year 800.
Explanation
Two features define this event: it happened in the old imperial city in Italy, and the crown was placed by the pope in person, which is why later western rulers set such store by papal approval of their titles. The version staged in the eastern capital fails because the emperor there regarded himself as the only Roman emperor and would never have crowned a western rival.