ROYAL POLITICS AND REGIONAL POWER IN THE LATE CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE
Simon MacLean
In the last chapter case was made that Charles Fat ruled empire in much same way as had his predecessors. However, this observation cannot hide fact there one major difference between of Charlemagne and great-grandson: its political geography. For generations mental landscape Frankish elite been dominated by centres Francia, middle Rhine, northern Italy eastern Bavaria, those regions where Carolingians were best endowed with palaces estates. Under Fat, thanks to a series dynastic accidents, traditional order things turned on head. His home regnum Alemannia very backwater Carolingian terms. Although other fringe zones such Provence Aquitaine historically hosted resident royal courts, times numerical strength. never visited Aachen, old seat Louis Pious, from during period dwindling numbers kings: after 884, it became, along Italy, centre empire. The marchio, type regional middle-man who under mainly deployed less-visited frontier now became key player what previously heart core become peripheral, periphery core.
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