By 800 Charlemagne was the undisputed ruler of Western Europe. His vast realm covered what are now France, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It included half of present-day Italy and Germany, part of Austria, and the Spanish March "border" (this region, known then as “Marcia Hispánica”, was governed by the Counts of Barcelona on behalf of the Franks). The broad March reached to the Ebro River. After establishing the seat of government at Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen in German), Charlemagne restored much of the unity of the old Roman Empire and paved the way for the development of the Holy Roman Empire.
