Arnulf of Carinthia

King of East Francia

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Lived 850–899, aged 49

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60 languages
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Era
850–899
Aged 49

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People connected to Arnulf of Carinthia

FatherCarloman of Bavaria

ChildLouis the Child

Summary

Updated 2026-05-29

Arnulf went from Duke of Carinthia to emperor in less than a decade, crowned in Rome in 896 after invading Italy multiple times. Last male-line Carolingian to actually hold imperial power, though rivals never stopped contesting his claim.

Biography

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Arnulf of Carinthia was King of East Francia since 887, King of Italy since 894, and Emperor since 896. Initially, he was the Duke of Carinthia who overthrew his uncle Emperor Charles the Fat to become the Carolingian king of East Francia in late 887. He also ruled Lotharingia, and tried to impose suzerainty over West Francia, and rule over Burgundy and Italy. In 894, he invaded Italy and took Pavia, but soon returned to East Francia. Upon invading Italy again, he was crowned Emperor on 22 February 896 in Rome by Pope Formosus, but soon returned again to East Francia. He died on 8 December 899…

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