Which 802 act defined the role of Charlemagne's missi dominici?

The Capitulare missorum generale was the 802 act that defined the role of Charlemagne's missi dominici. These “royal envoys” travelled through the empire as the king's representatives, supervising local officials, hearing complaints, administering justice, and enforcing royal orders.

The capitulary placed the missi on a more systematic and permanent footing. They were commonly appointed in pairs: a senior churchman and a lay aristocrat. Each pair supervised a territory known as a missaticum, linking distant counties and communities more directly to Charlemagne's central authority.

The legislation also formed part of a wider programme of Carolingian reform. It required free men to swear loyalty to Charlemagne and instructed officials to uphold law, protect churches, and prevent abuses of office. A related set of instructions, the Capitularia missorum specialia, supplied more specific directions for particular missions.

The main trap is confusing this act with the Capitulare de villis, which addressed the administration of royal estates. The missi dominici were not permanent provincial governors; they were itinerant inspectors and agents of the ruler.