Latest possible recognizable resurgent Western Roman Empire in the Middle Ages?

I'm new to this particular genre of alternate history so go easy on me.

What is the latest possible date for a resurgent Roman Empire based in Rome and recognizably Roman? What does such a mixture of Roman nostalgia and Middle Ages technology and culture look like and how does it effect the geo-political atmosphere of medieval Europe and the world?

I hope I don't have to go into much more detail than that on what my admittedly vague description of "recognizable" entails.

And really, thank you in advance.
 
A rebellious Catepan of Italy uses the Normans to defeat the Lombards of Naples and even the Pope in Rome. He has his new puppet Pope declare him Roman Emperor. Furthermore he marries off his only daughter to one of the main Norman nobles, whom he appoints as successor.
 

Dirk_Pitt

Banned
A rebellious Catepan of Italy uses the Normans to defeat the Lombards of Naples and even the Pope in Rome. He has his new puppet Pope declare him Roman Emperor. Furthermore he marries off his only daughter to one of the main Norman nobles, whom he appoints as successor.

It would never be recognized by Constantinople, so you'd end up with another HRE... just slightly better, being based in Rome.

I say it'd have to be before the HRE is formed in a recognizable form. Otherwise you have a state that says it is Western Rome but is ignored by those who matter. A PoD before 800AD is needed.
 
Emperor Maurice intended to revive the western Roman Empire by dividing the empire on his death: his second son Tiberius would be emperor of the west while his older brother Theodosius would rule the east.
 
What does such a mixture of Roman nostalgia and Middle Ages technology and culture look like and how does it effect the geo-political atmosphere of medieval Europe and the world?

There's two problems. "Roman nostalgia" is practically unknown in Middle Ages, at least before XI century, at a point where "recognizable" WRE is dead meat.
And "medieval culture" is probably as much diverse than nowaydays western culture, to say nothing of "medieval technology", somthing really vague depending on regions (Islamic, Western, Nordic, Eastern, etc) and era (MA spawning on a thousand years).

Anyway, your best bet, IMHO, is to have the exarchates of Ravenna being sucessfully crowned as western emperors. Eleutherius tried to do so, and recieved papal support. While he was killed ongoing to rome for coronation, it could be avoided.

Of course, it would be really limited to Italy or surrounding holdings, and likely to be absorbated or puppetized by Byzantium or Lombards.

Another possibility, but I would consider it as hard to maintain, is to have the Carolingian kings of Italy maintaining their kingdom depsite the threats (other Carolingians, Maygars, Saracens, Byzantines). Generally, kingship of Italy meant imperial title. But it would be likely a mix between superficial roman features, re-dynamised with Byzantine influence and vassalic structure.

After that, even with the use of "Empire", it would be too late to be considered as a resurgence of Roman Empire, basically because vassalic structure and eventually feudal would be too well set up.
 
As for a resurgent Western Roman Empire, the last plausible date I can think of would be sometime in the 6th century or so. If the Byzantines manage to hold onto Italy against the Lombards, then it's conceivable that the Italian provinces might later become independent as a restored WRE, either through rebellion or through the Empire being peaceably divided between two or more claimants. Alternatively, if the Arab conquests proceed as IRL, we might see an Emperor deciding that Constantinople was too exposed, and transferring his seat to somewhere in Italy. Ravenna would be the most likely choice for this, although Rome could be a sort of ceremonial capital for coronations etc..

It's also possible that if the Lombards had been more successful in conquering the peninsula, the whole of Italy could have ended up under a single ruler, who might then assume the title of Western Emperor or be given it by the Pope. Whether such a polity would really represent a legitimate and recognisably Roman continuation of the WRE is however open to question.
 
It's also possible that if the Lombards had been more successful in conquering the peninsula, the whole of Italy could have ended up under a single ruler, who might then assume the title of Western Emperor or be given it by the Pope. Whether such a polity would really represent a legitimate and recognisably Roman continuation of the WRE is however open to question.

I'm not sure about it.
First, the Lombard kingship structure would likely prevent a royal takover of all the duchies (admttedly, southern ones would be less on the loose ITTL), and while such a king could grab pontifical support, it wouldn't be enough alone to decide it.

Second, for every Christian and neighbouring Pagans, the empire was Constantinople's. You would need to have an important hiatus on Byzantine sucession or stability to have someone able to take the title. Euletherius managed (well, almost) to do that as Heraclius didn't get much legitimacy himself at first, and the most notable western exemple, Charlemagne, because of Irene assuming the imperial title.

What you propose stay plausible, and having control of Italy is a much important point. But you would need two PoDs (well, three, in order to avoid Frankish takeover) without guarantee it would allow a resurgence of imperial title, and if it happens (as you said yourself), it may not be more of a "roman" resurgence than imperial (like it did happened for Charlemagne. Imperial title was more about the imperium on Christian itself, than the roman part)
 

Dorozhand

Banned
The ERE defeats the Lombards and holds on to all of Italy and some of north Africa, but does worse against the Arabs as a consequence.

During the Second Siege, reinforcements don't arrive and the city of Constantinople is overwhelmed.

Leo III flees to Italy, and proceeds to set up the Empire there, with the capital in Rome, in order to be equidistant from Carthage and the northern border in the alps, and to be able to respond equally fast to any invasion from those directions.

The army is reorganized and maintained in Africa and the Alps, as well as in Rome and other major cities. The army is made to be majority-roman in composition.

A powerful navy is built to protect Roman shipping and prevent a seaborne invasion of Italy by the Arabs.

The forum is rebuilt, and the senate reinstated, and the successors of Leo are native speakers of Latin :)
 
In 611-12 AD, Patriarch Sergius fails to persuade Heraclius to stay in Constantinople when the Sassinids reach the gates of the City and instead retreats and sets up shop in Carthage, his power base, as he almost did OTL. He and his heirs turn their attention to consolidating their rule in the West (possibly recovering the Italian peninsula and bigger chunks of Spain) surrendering immediate hopes of recovering the East. Not only do we get a surviving Western latin-speaking empire, but the Sassinids, not weakened by a long-term war with the ERE , have a very good chance of fending off the Arab invasions of OTL if they happen at all. Greek speaking members of the Empire are largely screwed.
 
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