Arnulf Crowned Emperor: Stroke Forces Retreat from Rome
Pope Formosus crowned Arnulf of Carinthia as Holy Roman Emperor in Rome, cementing an alliance between the papacy and the Carolingian successor state. Arnulf suffered a debilitating stroke almost immediately and withdrew his army back across the Alps, leaving Rome undefended. His incapacitation triggered a power vacuum that rival Italian factions exploited for decades.
February 22, 896
1130 years ago
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