Paris under the first Carolingians (751-987 AD): The dynasty which replaced the Merovingians after 751 had their origins in the Rhine area. Paris thus became just one of many towns when the centre of power moved towards the East (Metz or Aix-la-Chapelle). But the Carolingians decided to be buried at St Denis, with the exception of Charlemagne. From then on, kings of France were buried in the same place, in the basilica of St Denis in the North of Paris. The French court remained itinerant throughout the Middle Ages. The king went from estate to estate to hunt or to make war, but the birth of the State was accompanied by the development of a central administration in Paris. Some key points of this development were: - In 1146 King Louis VII established his treasury in Paris while he was away on Crusade. From then on the royal treasure remained in Paris. - In 1194, at the battle of Freteval, King Philippe-Auguste was robbed of his archives by the English. The archives after that were kept in Paris.