The entire period referred to as the Carolingian renevatio spanned the eighth and ninth centuries; however, the main period of religious and secular activity occurred during the reigns of Charlemagne (r. 800–814) and his son Louis the Pious (r. 814–840). The term Carolingian refers to the rule of the Carolingian lineage, which ruled the Frankish Empire during the Early Middle Ages from 800 to 888 CE. A term still current, the Carolingian renevatio is widely known as the Carolingian renaissance but this essay aims to discuss and explore how the elements encapsulated by the term ‘renaissance’ does not uniformly represent the cultural synthesising that took place throughout this period. It aims to demonstrate that the Carolingian renaissance, which found its embodiment under Emperor Charlemange, was really more of racapitulation and rejuvenation of the various cultural tendencies of the regions than a rebirth. When debating whether the Carolingian renevatio could be thought of as more of a rejuvenation than a renaissance, its essential to explore the meaning of both terms and their potential applications; broadly speaking, the term renaissance has been used as a term ‘denoting a certain kind of civilisation which emerges as an invigorating dawn after the night of political upheavement, economic stagnation and intellectual barren-ness’. Indeed, the Carolingian renevatio would not have been possible without some alterations in social structure, in ecclesiastical organisation and in institutional life, however, these conditions merely constitute the envirionment under which a renaissance manifests. The Carolingian empire under Charlemagne’s reign witnessed a flourishing of culture and innovation throughout the Frankish Empire. Undeniably the term ‘renaissance’ can be considered appropriate for the Carolingian renevatio when its growth in literature, arts, architecture, and scriptural studies is taken into consideration, however, during the Carolingian renevatio, the Carolingians looked to the Roman Empire of the fourth century for not only inspiration but as an entire plan for their contemporary model. The term ‘renaissance’ implies a flourishing of cultural innovation, which was demonstrated throughout the Carolingian revenatio but differs in that it imbided the notable aspects of Constantines reign and the result was an empire of cultural syntheses and rejuvenated Roman tradition. As will be discussed, the Carolingian revenatio was more a rejuvenation than a renaissance as it was not a cultural rebirth as much as it was a process of cultural syncretism. The Carolingians adapted concepts that were already part of their immediate heritage and for this reason, this essay is orientated around a concept of continuity that emphasises a burst of both secular and religious rejuvenation distinguishing it from a renaissance.
The Carolingian renevatio was instigated by Charlemagne, King of the Franks, and later, Holy Roman Emperor. Inspired by Constantine’s impressive legacy of military strength and artistic patronage whilst also becoming the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity, Charlemagne admired Constantine and opted to use Constantine’s Christian Empire, which flourished between 306 and 337, as a model for his own Empire in a bid to restore the greatness of Rome. In c. 786, Charlemagne relocated to Aachen in Rhine Valley and in doing so, he chose Aachen has the centre of power of the Carolingian Empire. Construction of his palace began in 796 AD and it is in studying the Palace Chapel at Aachen, constructed throughout the years 786 – 798 AD, that it becomes clear that the term rejuvenation is appropriate for the happenings of this period. Charlemagne’s palace at Aachen featured numerous buildings laid out on a north – south axis covering a surplus of several hundred acres. This extensive architectural complex pulled inspiration from classical architecture and the intent of Charlemagne to draw a clear parallel to the greatness of roman architecture is consistently apparent; the location of the palace itself was strategically erected over the remains of Roman and past antique times. Construction spanning from the years 786 to c. 798, the central plan chapel located at the southern end of the extensive complex is possibly the best preserved Carolingian building. Again, this particular structure demonstrates Charlemagne’s desire to create an empire of affluence and military strength that directly equates to that of its Roman model. Featuring a polygonal layout, fourty-eight feet in diameter, surrounded by a 16 sided groin vaulted ambulatory and topped by the octangonal stone cloister vault supported by the alternating buttress and wedge shaped vaults of the gallery, it is, in many ways, a borrowed plan from San Vitale in Ravenna. In addition to this recall of San Vitale in plan, there are physical elements linking the two structures; marble slabs which faced the piers and other parts of the chapel were shipped, by Charlemange, from Rome and Ravenna. The Carolingian renevatio is indebted to the late classical, Christian Roman past and Constantines resistence to the Popes association with the Rome of the Pagan Ceasers. The almost indentical floor plans of the two can be better understood when it is taken into consideration that Charlemagne actually visited Ravenna in 787AD, by which time construction had begun. The two plans reflect each other in terms of their polygonal ground plan, east apsidal projection, towered entrance porch and domed octagonal centre space encompassed by an ambulatory and gallery, however, while the constituent elements are blatently similar, Charlemagnes Palace at Aachen features different principles of design. Its proportions, which are low and heavy, reflect those of Roman and early Christian structure and its abstract composition is reminiscent of that of Santa Costanza and the Pantheon in Rome. Without taking into consideration Charlemagne’s drawing of elements from Roman architecture, the content of the palace chapel at Aachen was essential contemporary for its location; it was religious in function and, inspired by Constantine’s Christian reign, it dropped the secular implications that had previously been associated with byzantine chapels. The palace chapel at Aachen is an exempliarary architectural demonstration of how the Carolingian renevatio was more of a rejuvenation than a renaissance as, as an architectural catalyst in the Carolingian age of revivalism of antiquity, Charlemagne and his builder paid homage tp the past whilst also uniting vital new artistic forces such as geometricisation and abstract stereomentrt. Further to equate himself to the standard of Emperor Constantine, the first roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Charlemange arranged for his marbel throne to be located directly beneath the agnus dei as symbolic of his enhanced and direct connection to God which came with the title he bore.
The Carolingian renevatio was, in essence, an attempt to rejuvenate the glory of the Roman empire’s power, prestige and successs. In order for this to be successfully executed, a certain level of literacy was necessary which has been lost in Europe after Rome’s collapse in the 5th Century. Charlemagne recongised that literacy was a wealth in itself and indicative of the authority and power of an empire, as was that of the Rome he looked to model his empire on. Therefore, the Carolingina renevatio rejuvenated the standard of literacy by instituting universal education reforms in the form of a script which was standardized throughout the empire which could be used to copy manuscripts and bring a learned populace back to Europe. Charlemagne’s devoted interest in education saw a not only copies of liturgical texts being made, but also many ancients secular texts, to Charlemagne, it would appear that ignorance was a weakness. The standardising of the Carolingian script, or Minisucle, as it became known, is an example of the cultural alterastions that occurred throughout the Carolinigian renevatio. Elite scholars of Charlemagne’s court were largely responsible for spearheading the Carolingian renevatio turning to ancient and classical texts for knowledge. In addition to this, the Carolingina minisule was distanced from its classical past as Latin was taught as a dead language with special pronunciation that distinghuished it from the Vulgar Latin of everyday speech, creating an artificial language learned by educated elitists Previous to this, script was written in an impressive yet labour intensive uncial. The Carolinginal unicial replace this, evolving around Roman cursive and half uncial but creating a script which was simple, quick to write and generally rounded in shape – definitive features of the Carolingingian miniscule which continued to solidify and become distinctively distinguishable from other scripts which would develop in the following centuries. Charlemagne successful mission to raise the standard of education and his desire for uniformity of pratice provided a sustainable standardised of literacy for future generations to build on. By rejuventating the carolingisn minsicule and promoting the importance of literacy in this educational reform, documentation and spreading of important scripts could be universally understood throughput the empire which inevitable assited in strenghtehning it.
In conclusion, The Carolingian renaissance was more of a rejuvenation of most things Roman, or at best, a clwar copy almost indistinguishable from its earlier model. Renaissance is a term typically applied to a civilisation that has resulted from some form of cultural/political upheaval resulting in an entire new culture and way of life in a display of innovation and unprecedented artistic creativity, The Carolingian renevatio, can be thought of as more of a rejuvenation however as there is a consistent blatent emphasis on continuity from the model created by Constantine. The Carolingian period demonstrates a cultural syntheses that, although emerged within the background of virtually unbroken continuity with Rome, also incorporated fresh and invigorating elements of Greekk and early Christian culture. For this reason, The Carolingian renevatio was more of a rejuvenation than a renaissance.
Even in craftforms, a rejuvenation of the roman style can be observed ; bone and ivory carvings from this period clearly have been influenced by the late classical heritage of the roman empire and early Christianity, this is apparent in the formal poses of the evangelists which appaear to be modelled on ivory diptychs of the roman consuls. The overall effect of the Carolingian revenatio raised Western culture to the same level as that of Byzantium. Surviving carolinigian ivories are not rivalled by the Byzantines until the tenth century and in metalwork, the Carolingians demonstrated their superiority in masterpieces such as the bronze doors at the palace of Aachen and the Volvin Alter at St. Ambroise in Milan, of this level of craftsmanship and sumptuous design, nothing survives from the byzantine period.