Hadrian I

The Liber Pontificalis describes Hadrian as a Roman of noble family from the Via Lata quarter, who held the see for twenty-three years and ten months (Liber Pontificalis Hadrian I (ed. Duchesne, vol. 1, p. 486)) and was buried at St Peter’s on 26 December in the fourth indiction, which is 795 (Liber Pontificalis Hadrian I (ed. Duchesne, vol. 1, p. 514)). Einhard says that it was at his entreaty that Charlemagne made war on the Lombards and ended their kingdom (Einhard, Life of Charlemagne 6). In 774 Charlemagne renewed in St Peter’s the promise of territory that his father had made to Stephen II (Liber Pontificalis Hadrian I (Duchesne 1, p. 498; English in Thatcher and McNeal, no. 46)).

His letter to the rulers at Constantinople, urging the restoration of images and setting out the authority of the Roman see, was read at the Second Council of Nicaea Restores Icons (Council of Nicaea (787), session 2, letter of Hadrian). His biographer says that the council decided in accordance with that letter and that Hadrian had the Greek acts put into Latin and kept in the papal library (Liber Pontificalis Hadrian I (ed. Duchesne, vol. 1, pp. 511–512)).