Observations on the Dead Emperor Collected from Annals and Laws

the most glorious Emperor had died, the Cisalpines who were with him brought back his corpse through Bavaria, to whom the most noble Duke came to meet them with the Bavarian bishops and counts, received the body of his senior and kinsman with the veneration that was due, received the entire army with the liberality that was required, and conducted it through his land with the convenience that was necessary; finally arriving at Muneborg, he himself carried the body of the Emperor into the city on his own shoulders, exhibiting an example of piety and owed humanity, etc. WIPPO in his life of Conrad the Salian at the year 1039: The remaining body was wrapped and encased as well as could be devised by the Empress and the King, his son, and was carried as far as Cologne, being transported through all the monasteries of that city and of Mainz or Worms or those that were in between, with all the people following and praying, with incredible prayer and great alms made for the redemption of the soul—the King, Henry, son of the Caesar, at all the entrances to the churches and at the very end at the burial, placed his shoulders under the body of his father with humility beyond measure, etc.

The funeral of the Emperor is to be piously undertaken and conducted.

From these [examples] it is evident that where the funeral of the Emperor must be conducted through various lands of the Empire, it is the duty of the nobles that they open the cities to the dead Emperor no less than to the living, and conduct his funeral. See FRITSCH on the right of aperture, ch. 3 and on the right of public roads, ch. 12, no. 32; HERT, Book I, Part 13: Imperial Majesty brings the safe-conduct with it; it is so far from the case that they can detain the body, which even civil law forbids (Law 38, de religios; Novella 60, ch. 1), or impede a announced transport. BESOLD, Thesaurus Practicus Practical Thesaurus, under the word: Transportation of the deceased. Thus, as the Annals of the Franks testify at the end, Drogo, the brother of Louis the Pious, the Bishop of Metz, with other bishops, abbots, counts, and vassals of the lord, with a great gathering of both clergy and people, and with great honor caused the dead body of Louis P. to be transported to Metz.