Paschal I was a Roman pope and leader of the Papal States who reigned from 817 until his death in 824. Born into an aristocratic family in Rome, he previously served as an abbot managing a monastery for pilgrims. His papacy was marked by significant architectural projects and complex political interactions with the Carolingian Empire, including the coronation of Lothair I as Holy Roman Emperor. He is remembered for his support of iconophile monks fleeing Byzantine persecution and his extensive rebuilding of several Roman basilicas.