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How did Charlemagne protect the papacy before his imperial coronation?

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Map of Europe about 800 CE showing the extent of the Frankish kingdom under Charlemagne in light purple, covering much of present-day France, Germany, northern Italy, and neighboring regions. Areas inhabited by Slavic peoples who were tributary to Charlemagne are shaded in a darker purple to the east of the Frankish kingdom, including groups such as the Bohemians, Moravians, and Croats. Major cities, rivers, and neighboring kingdoms are labeled for context.
Holy Roman Empire

Before his imperial coronation in 800, Charlemagne protected the papacy through military intervention and the reaffirmation of the Frankish protectorate.

Following the precedent set by his father, Pippin III, who had established the Papal States and pledged to defend Rome, Charlemagne acted as a military guarantor for the popes. In 773ā€“774, he responded to appeals from Pope Adrian I by leading a campaign into Italy that destroyed the Lombard kingdom, which had been threatening papal territories. During this expedition, Charlemagne visited Rome to confirm papal rights and solidify the Frankish alliance.123

Later, in 799, when Pope Leo III was attacked by hostile Roman nobility and fled across the Alps, he sought refuge with Charlemagne. Charlemagne provided him with protection and sent him back to Rome with a commission that investigated the complaints against the pope, ultimately arresting and deporting his accusers. This intervention paved the way for Charlemagneā€™s arrival in Rome in 800 to restore order to the church.4