The battle of Pavia was fought in 773-774 in what is now northern Italy, and resulted the victory of French under Charlemagne against the Lombards under King Didier, better known as Desiderius (meaning "desire" in Latin, and the same root as the current Italian name Disdero).

After the victory, which involved a lengthy siege, Charlemagne had himself declared King of Italy, and from that time onwards he was to be called King of the Franks and Lombards.


This is unrelated to the better-known Battle of Pavia in 1525, sometimes called the first modern battle.


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