06: Carolingians: Renovatio Imperii

Lorsch Abbey, Gate

Recontruction

Sutton Hoo (National Trust)

Sutton Hoo and Europe (British Museum)

The Lindisfarne Gospels from the British Library

Carolingians

Christmas 800: Charles crowned Emperor of the West in Rome

Einhard writes a biography after Charles’ death

What is meant by “Carolingian Renaissance?”

Timeline: ca 700-ca 850

Long-term changes on continent

Political shifts:

Losses for Byzantines
New power link: Franks/Rome

Linguistic, cultural shifts

Spread of Islam: Carthage 698, Spain 711

Franks ca. 700

From Merovingians (original dynasty) to Carolingians

Carolingians: Charles Martel (ca 688-741)

Mayor of Palace under Merovingians
battle of Tours (733)
Church institutions for stability (bishops, abbots)

Rival powers include Lombard expansions: Italy

Pepin (ca 714-68) or Pippin

Papal recognition as legitimate king of Franks

Charles “the Great” (742-814)

military victories over numerous enemies: Lombards 774
Oaths of Loyalty
Royal assemblies
Envoys with written orders: Capitularies

Byzantines and Rome

Dispersal of Senate after Justinian; exarchate (Rome to Ravenna)

Problems:

Spread of Islam (military)
iconoclastic controversy
Lombard expansion

Bishop of Rome (Pope) Republic of St Peter ca. 700

Its Defense against Lombards: Carolingians

“Donation of Constantine”—mid-8^th c forgery

Schools and learning

Church and literacy

needed to read Bible, conduct liturgy
preaching
Roman ideal of educated elite
Institutional continuity and libraries
Latin (not vernacular; not Greek)
organization of “Gregorian chant”

Cathedra Petri (Throne of St. Peter) Charles II the Bald, 823-877. Rome, St. Peter, Vatican
Made for Carolingian monarch Charles the Bald; probably donated on his coronation, Christmas Day, 875

The heir of Constantine

— palace, chapel at Aachen—modeled on Ravenna, last W. Imperial capital

promotion of Roman/Christian culture

architecture

education

monasteries; palace

book copying, handwriting reform

visual arts: mainly church-related

Aachen, Palatine Chapel

Ravenna, S. Vitale

plans compared

Plans compared: S. Vitale, Palatine Chapel

Christianity and Church as force for peace and order

literate culture and classical traditions

new writings:

some preservation of oral vernacular poetry

devotional and religious works

histories

official correspondence and documentation

personal correspondence

	Carolinian minuscule. Text with decorated initials, from a Gregorian Sacramentary St. Gall?; c. 825-50, subsequently used at the abbey of St. Alban, Mainz Bodleian Library, MS. Auct. D. 1. 20, fol. 116r
	St. Matthew. Coronation Gospels of Holy Roman Empire, 790-810