To Charles right and behind him was the book, Horses of San Marco, which is a very interesting and symbolic choice.
During the Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople, the Venetians & Crusaders diverted from their mission to take the Holy Land, and ended up going to Constantinople, an Orthodox Christian & symbolic city, to destroy and loot it.
They targeted churches, homes, civilians & looted its treasures including the Horses of the Hippodrome of Constantinople.
They targeted churches, homes, civilians & looted its treasures including the Horses of the Hippodrome of Constantinople.
They raped and pillaging the place, reducing its population from 400,000 to 50,000 and weakening it so much that the Ottoman Empire later took it easily. King Charles lineage can be traced back to the House of Flanders.
Baldwin of Flanders was a key leader of the Fourth Crusade, and became the first emperor of the Latin Empire after the sack of Constantinople. –
SourceA story of betrayl and genocide. History echoes..