The title of this period owes its origin to Charles Martel, the Frankish ruler who defeated the Moors at Poitiers in 732. The artistic advances of this period were initiated by Martel's grandson Charlemagne, who was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800. Although the Carolingian empire itself would not survive past the ninth century, the civilizing for... Found on http://www.artisansofthevalley.com/comm_gloss3.html