Charlemagne

5. Give three examples of Charlemagne's influence in the architecture or literature of the Early Middle Ages.

Three examples of Charlemagne's influence in the architecture or literature of the Early Middle Ages are his education and the Roman Church.  Charlemagne, also known as Charles, "had the gift of ready and fluent speech, and could express whatever he had to say with the utmost clearness" (Einhard. "Life of Charlemagne." Medieval Sourcebook. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar 2010. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/einhard1.html>.).  Charles paid attention to foreign languages, such as Latin and Greek.  He played a huge role when it came to the liberal arts; he praised all of his teachers for helping him learn such a great study.  Charles also studied grammar, and other subjects, with the greatest, most prominent scholars of the day.  He fancied in rhetoric, dialectics, and astronomy; but also tried writing, and kept tablets under his pillow.  Charles influenced the Carolingian minuscule, even after he was dead.  

Charlemagne loved St. Peter the Apostle Church in Rome, and he donated to the leaders of the Church. It was his dream to reconstruct Rome the way he wanted to, protect St. Peters, and to make it the best Church around.  Charles only renovated Rome "to pay his vows and make his supplications four times during the whole forty-seven years that he reigned" (Einhard. "Life of Charlemagne." Medieval Sourcebook. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar 2010. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/einhard1.html>.).

Carolingian architecture was influenced by Charlemagne because he favored the Aachen in Germany.  Charles constructed the Palantine Chapel in 792.  The plan of the Palantine Chapel molds together Classical, Byzantine, Pre-Romanesque, and lavish objects of the new house which was ruled by Charlemagne.

"Aachen." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aachen>.

  

"Charlemagne." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne>.


"Carolingian minuscule." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolingian_minuscule>.


"Charlemagne." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne>.


"Codexaureus." Wikimedia Commons. Web. 18 Mar 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Codexaureus_04.jpg>.


Einhard. "Life of Charlemagne." Medieval Sourcebook. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar 2010. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/einhard1.html>.


"Palatine Chapel in Aachen." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palatine_Chapel_in_Aachen>.


"St. Peter's Basilica." Wikimedia Commons. Web. 18 Mar 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Giovanni_Paolo_Panini_-_Interior_of_St._Peter's,_Rome.jpg>.