In this gallery of four maps we chart the rise and expansion of the Holy Roman Empire, a pivotal period in European history following the decline of the Roman Empire. Emerging from the ashes of Rome's collapse, the Merovingian Dynasty in Gaul, led by figures such as Syagrius and Clovis, laid the groundwork for the empire's formation, albeit in a fragmented manner. However, it was under the rule of Charlemagne, crowned Emperor of the Romans in 800, that the idea of a united Christian empire gained momentum. His conquests expanded the empire's influence, paving the way for Otto the Great's coronation in 962, formally establishing the Holy Roman Empire, and ushering in a new era of medieval Europe.