For other uses, see Merovingian (disambiguation). Francia expanded from Austrasia, established by the Merovingian dynasty. The Merovingians (/ˌmɛroʊˈvɪndʒiən/) were a Salian Frankish dynasty that ruled the Franks for nearly 300 years in a region known as Francia in Latin, beginning in the middle of the 5th century.