Adrian I
Hadrian · 772 – 795
Allied with Charlemagne against the Lombards and supported the Second Council of Nicaea's defense of sacred images.
Adrian I was a Roman nobleman who became pope in 772 and reigned for nearly 24 years, one of the longest pontificates in history at that time. He allied with Charlemagne, who destroyed the Lombard kingdom and confirmed the Papal States. Adrian supported the Second Council of Nicaea in 787, which restored the veneration of icons. Charlemagne reportedly wept when he learned of Adrian's death.
Why He Matters
Adrian I's long reign cemented the alliance between Rome and the Frankish empire that would define medieval Europe. His partnership with Charlemagne gave the papacy a reliable protector and the Church political stability for a generation.