5_ The Carolingian Renaissance ‘The Early Middle Ages wicnessed a marked decline in learaing and che arcs Pa- ‘eonage ofboth the liberal and the visual ars by che old Roman aristocracy was ‘not widely copied by the Germanic ruling cass that replaced che Romans. Sup- port for learning and the arts shifted from secular to ecclesiastical patrons. ‘Monasteries became the new centers for intellectual and arsstie activities, and Christian themes and values almost entirely displaced the worldly values of Greco-Roman culeure. Under the patronage of Charlemagne (742-814), che great Feankish emperor, a conscious revival of classical Greek and Roman learning and che visual ats ‘occurred. Charlemagne eealized chac his great empire could not be effectively ‘governed without a cadre of lcerate clergy and administrators. To educate che leaders of the Frankish empite, Charlemagne sponsored a number of reforms inal instcutions and he quality of literacy and leaening in his realm. Accourt, he complecely reformed the school conducted for the childeen of his family and his courtiers and recruited the best scholars western Europe to sta it, Among these scholars was the English deacon Alcuin ‘of York (735-804), who became his chief advisor on educational and celigious affaies, They aimed a¢ cestoring classical learning to serve the needs of the new Christian culeure. Einhard CHARLEMAGNE'S APPRECIATION OF LEARNING . ‘The cevival of classical learning and the visual arts under Charlemagne is called the Carolingian Renaissance, s cultural awakening chat helped shape medieval civilization. One of Charlemagae's most sigeicane decisions was ordering the aking of copies of old manuscripes dating back to Roman times. Much of co- day's knowledge of Roman learning and literature comes from surviving Car- olingian copies of older Latin cexts that no longer exist. In the fist reading, Charlemagne's biographer Eiahard describes western Europe's greatest royal ppatcon ofthe liberal arts since che fall ofthe western Roman Empire. Charles [Charlemagne] hed the gift of ready and fluent speech, and could express what ‘ever he had co say with che utmost clearness. re was nor satisfied wich command of his na~ tive language merely, but gave atcention to the seudy of foreign ones, and in particular twas such a mascer of Latin that he could speak ie as well as his native congue; bur he could understand Greek beter than he could speak is, He was s0 eloquent, indeed, chac he might have passed for a teacher of eloquence. He ‘most zealously cultivated the liberal arcs, held those who caught chem in geeat esteem, and cconferced great honors upon them. He rook lessons in grammar of the deacon Peter of ina! ac ehae cime en aged man. Another dea- con, Albin of sarmamed Alcuin, a man of §axon extraction, who was che greatest scholar of ehe day, was his ceacher in other branches of learning. The King spent much ‘tional langage af the Middle Ages), was bough om Tey co ceath atthe schol in Charlemagee' place He ‘oceongedtnteret in pre-Chistan case Hing, Stich inivenced che cout pots that time and labor with him scudying checocie, di- slecties, and especially astronomy; he learned to reckon, and used to investigate the motions of the heavenly bodies mose curiously, wich an ineelligene scrutiny. He also cried to write, and ‘sed «o keep eablets and blanks in bed under his pillow, chae a¢ leisure hours he might ac- custom his hand to form che leecers; however, as he did noe begin his efforts in due sexson, ‘uc late in life, chey mec wich il success. He cherished with the greatest fervor and de- votion the principles of che Christian religion, which had been instilled inco him from infancy. Hence ic was chat he baile che beautiful basit~ ica? at Aix-la-Chapelle? which he adorned wich ‘gold and silver and lamps, and wich rails anc doors of solid brats. He had the columns and marbles for this sericture broughe from Rome Aili i sly « ectnguacshaped church, whose Iman chamber is vided by arn ogo cet are nd vide snes. Tete was wally senile ape at {he mowed fing tect hich wat eval Foc bole and the oeacon af be main star SkicicChapeli, nom Aachen, wan Chtleagne's capi ta at lected In at row western Geran), eae ‘he Nethedands-Belgl fete,