Carolingian Dynasty Essay

Although the reign of the Carolingian dynasty occupied brief part of the medieval era, the Carolingian Empire that was established made both a historical and cultural impact on medieval society that would resonate for centuries to come. The Carolingian House of the Franks and their expanding empire initially brought stability and progress to most of Europe, as well as pioneering a cultural and intellectual renaissance that influenced the remainder of the Middle Ages. Although there were various Carolingian rulers who aided these advances, Carolingian developments reached their peak during the reign of Charlemagne, a leader and reformer of the church who appreciated the importance of learning and education. Throughout his reign, he established
Charlemagne, King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor, orchestrated this Renaissance. He wanted to be ‘worthy of the inheritance of Rome and the Christian Church, and make his kingdom pleasing to God’ (David, 2006, p.143) so initiated a revival and rebirth of culture based on the thriving Christian legacy of the Roman Empire under Constantine. In light of this, the Carolingians can be considered the founders of the Holy Roman Empire that was of utmost importance during the whole medieval period. Although the art itself was an important cultural revival within medieval society, with advances seen in the visual arts and architecture ‘appropriate to the new, increasingly imperial, culture of the north’ (McKitterick, 2002, p.190), this essay will consider the arts as a developmental factor that impacted society the most through education. With this in mind, Charlemagne wrote his royal decrees, otherwise known as his ‘manifestos’: Admonitio generalis (789) and Epistola de litteris colendis (c.794-797), which was a letter to Abbot Baugulf of Fulda, outlining legislations establishing the foundations of the Renaissance. Throughout both texts, he discusses his desire for religious reform and the resurgence of learning. Quoting heavily from Holy Scripture and using Josiah as a model of kingship, he calls for moral and spiritual reform in order to lead the empire to salvation. Charlemagne also calls for the reform of the priesthood who, under the guidance of the bishops, became responsible for upholding the beliefs and practices of the church, as well as creating a program of education (Michael Frassetto, 2003, p.1). Monks and bishops were accountable for the establishment of schools in which the ultimate objective was teaching boys to read and write to spread