Was Charlemagne’s base really in Italy rather than Germany?
The eccentric question has a serious point: locating the heart of Europe
An air of mystery surrounds the off-white dome, framed by slender cylindrical towers, rising from the alluvial soil that sweeps from the Chienti valley to the Adriatic. Guidebooks describe the church of San Claudio as a Romanesque abbey of the 11th century. Yet many people in and around the nearby town of Macerata—local councillors, journalists, clergy—say the building is really two centuries older. They also think it is intimately linked with Charlemagne, literally Charles the Great, often described as the “Father of Europe”.
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This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “The emperor’s new abode”
Culture May 6th 2023
From the May 6th 2023 edition
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