The legacy of Charlemagne and the Carolingians

The art that ultimately benefits from this revival, the Carolingian period from 750 through 900 all trace their creation to the Emperorship of Charlemagne. His deeply religious nature served as a catalyst for this revival of classical learning. He gave a call for rare and important texts, and created systems for these texts to be corrected, preserved, and copied. These texts were read by his clergy, the Bureaucracy so that they could go and share, to spread, to teach the correct word of Christ. The Church and Government were one and the same force. This unified force was committed to reaching the heavens, and to bring it here to Earth.

The Carolingian period, personified through Charlamagne, looked to reinvent Europe by correcting, reforming, and standardizing the practices of Christianity that his kingdom showed ignorant of. Skilled artisans were brought to buildings called scriptorias, specialized for monks to copy books and texts. Bringing Latin closer to it’s classical roots, each book copied was hand made from parchment (the invention of the printing press was not invented until about 200 years later) and precious materials. The emphasis on quality is apparent, with scriptoria boasting highly-skilled arts such as bronze, metalwork, wood-carving, and ivory engraving. The quality of the craftsmanship and binding is so remarkable that many pages appear as bright today as they did one thousand years ago.

Charlamagne’s call for important texts and learned scholars brought forward the ideas of ancient philosophers like Aristotle and Plato to clear view; we see these founding fathers of geometry, mathematics, and music- Pythagoras, Euclid, and Aristotle- showcased among the jambs of the Cathedral of Chartres. These teachings would go to fundamentally alter the magnitude that architecture and craftsmanship would take. As reading and literacy became more commonplace in France especially, important questions like why art bring such an emotional impact over people, and the even greater question of how could it be used to amplify these effects for the divine. Color, light, space, and sound we’re relentlessly studied and experimented with. The discoveries and innovations were luxuriously displayed for the audience to feel. It was palpable. There was controversy over the luxury of these cathedrals over the cost and how it could have been better used to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked. In response to this view, Abbot Suger had inscribed to the bronze doors for the Abbey of St. Denis a powerful message:

”Whoever thou art, if thou seekest to extol the glory of these doors,

Marvel not at the gold and the expense but at the craftsmanship

of the work.

Bright is the noble work; but, being nobly bright, the work

Should brighten the minds, so that they may travel, through the

true lights,

To the True Light where Christ is the true door.

In what manner it be inherent in this world the golden door defines:

The dull mind rises to truth through that which is material

And, in seeing this light, is resurrected from its former submersion.”

Charlemagne and the Carolingian period is credited with many things, a few being a new script called minuscule, the admirable production of religious and other texts,

Standardizing writing, spelling, and legibility, and the revival of classical learning back to ancient Rome. Christianity was structured to a formidable religion. Pilgrimage was incentives by the presence of relics with their sought after effects. And most importantly, increased connections and cohesiveness among France and the rest of Europe.