Integration into the Carolingian Empire

After the troubled period of the Merovingian Frankish kingdoms, a new dynasty took over: the Carolingians. Under their authority, the various Frankish kingdoms were reunited. The momentum was such that in 800 Charlemagne was crowned emperor in Rome, giving birth to an immense political entity: an empire stretching from the Pyrenees to Bavaria, and from Rome to the Netherlands. La Grave then found itself at the geographical heart of this empire. This does not mean, of course, that the valley lived according to the rhythm of the imperial court, but being located in the center, far from unstable frontiers, probably offered a certain political respite. It was also during this period that feudal structures took shape: local powers, lordships, mutual obligations. In a mountain valley like ours, this must have led to a clearer organization of land, pastures, and rights of use. But the Early Middle Ages were not entirely peaceful. In the south, bands of Saracens based in Provence carried out several raids along the Alpine valleys. In 889, they even reached Briançon, which was plundered. Given the strategic importance of the Lautaret Pass, a compulsory crossing point between Provence and Dauphiné, it cannot be ruled out that these incursions reached La Grave or its immediate surroundings.