Carolingian architecture is the style of north European Pre-Romanesque architecture belonging to the period of the

Carolingian Renaissance The Carolingian Renaissance was the first of three medieval renaissances, a period of cultural activity in the Carolingian Empire. Charlemagne's reign led to an intellectual revival beginning in the 8th century and continuing throughout the 9th ...

of the late 8th and 9th centuries, when the Carolingian dynasty dominated west European politics. It was a conscious attempt to emulate Roman architecture and to that end it borrowed heavily from Early Christian and

Byzantine architecture Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire, or Eastern Roman Empire, usually dated from 330 AD, when Constantine the Great established a new Roman capital in Byzantium, which became Constantinople, until the Fall of Cons ...

, though there are nonetheless innovations of its own, resulting in a unique character. The gatehouse of the monastery at Lorsch, built around 800, exemplifies classical inspiration for Carolingian architecture, built as a triple-arched hall dominating the gateway, with the arched facade interspersed with attached classical columns and

pilasters In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...

above. The Palatine Chapel in Aachen constructed between 792–805 was inspired by the Emperor Justinian's octagonal San Vitale in

Ravenna Ravenna ( ; , also ; ) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century until its Fall of Rome, collapse in 476, after which ...

, built in the 6th century. At

Aachen Aachen is the List of cities in North Rhine-Westphalia by population, 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants. Aachen is locat ...

there is a tall monumental western entrance complex, as a whole called a westwork—a Carolingian innovation. Carolingian churches generally are

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

n in form, like the Early Christian churches of Rome, and commonly incorporated westworks, which is arguably the precedent for the western facades of later medieval cathedrals. An original westwork survives today at the Abbey of Corvey, built in 885.

Carolingian architecture

The

generated such a construction boom that between 768 and 855, 27 new cathedrals, 417 monastic buildings and 100 royal residences were built. Just during Charlemagne's reign, 16 cathedrals, 232 monasteries and 65 palaces were built. The kings were not only responsible for the construction sites but they also provided the architects and the funding. The rediscovery of the architecture treatises written by

Vitruvius Vitruvius ( ; ; –70 BC – after ) was a Roman architect and engineer during the 1st century BC, known for his multi-volume work titled . As the only treatise on architecture to survive from antiquity, it has been regarded since the Renaissan ...

enabled the building in stone, a material previously little used north of the Loire Valley. During their travels to Italy, the Carolingians discovered the Roman basilicas and

triumphal arch A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road, and usually standing alone, unconnected to other buildings. In its simplest form, a triumphal ...

es. The architects did not simply copy the Roman forms but rather adapted their plans to serve the needs of the royal and religious ceremonies. Most of the architectural elements invented at the beginning of the Carolingian period were refined over decades and successively adapted to eventually lead to the

Romanesque architecture Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe that was predominant in the 11th and 12th centuries. The style eventually developed into the Gothic style with the shape of the arches providing a simple distinction: the Ro ...

of the 11th century. The archaeological evidence indicates that in addition to religious architecture there did once exist an abundance of secular buildings most of which are no longer visible having been razed to the ground and any occasional vestiges only being evident from the air by means of outline shadows. Many have been incorporated into subsequent buildings. This can be attributed to the fact that secular building in stone (such as castles) was not introduced until the following centuries. Only in the case of Carolingian palaces has archaeology made a serious attempt to recover the foundations and attempted scientific reconstructions. The first period of Carolingian architecture, during the reign of Pepin the Short and the beginning of Charlemagne's reign, was driven by powerful ecclesiastic figures such as bishop Chrodegang of Metz, Fulrad, abbot of Saint-Denis, and Manassès, abbot of Flavigny Abbey. ViaCorneliaVatican

The pope wanted to reorganise and standardise the Catholic Church with the help of Charlemagne. Bishop Chrodegang introduced the Roman liturgical services which resulted in important changes in the architecture. The orientation of the churches was defined so that the altar would be located at the eastern end while the entrance would be at the western end. The St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the

Church of the Holy Sepulchre The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also known as the Church of the Resurrection, is a fourth-century church in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, Old City of Jerusalem. The church is the seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchat ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

and the early Christian art and architecture became the main references for the Carolingian designers. During the years 780–790, the creation of Lorsch Abbey, the expansion of the Princely Abbey of Corvey, and the foundation of the abbeys of Saint-Riquier and Fulda marked a new departure. The

Palace of Aachen The Palace of Aachen was a group of buildings with residential, political, and religious purposes chosen by Charlemagne to be the center of power of the Carolingian Empire. The palace was located in the heart of the current city of Aachen, today ...

with its Palatine Chapel was the culmination of this period. Towards the end of Charlemange's reign architecture projects multiplied, some very ambitious, as well as the integration of the liturgical services and the codification of the monastic architecture. The Plan of Saint Gall, with its extensive and detailed instructions, though probably never reflecting an actual reality, is an important example of how the architectural elements of a Christian monastery were defined during this period to establish a classic style. The decline of the Carolingians started during the 10th century and culminated in 1000–1020, when the Carolingian institutions collapsed in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

while in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

the new

Ottonian dynasty The Ottonian dynasty () was a Saxons, Saxon dynasty of German monarchs (919–1024), named after three of its kings and Holy Roman emperors, especially Otto the Great. It is also known as the Saxon dynasty after the family's origin in the German ...

developed an Ottonian architecture, which borrowed numerous elements from the Carolingian architecture. A fine example of this is the Eglise Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul d' Ottmarsheim in Alsace, founded around 1030.

Notable examples

* Lorsch Abbey, gateway (c. 800) * Benedictine Convent of Saint John, Müstair (c. 800) * Palatine Chapel, Aachen (792–805) * Oratory in Germigny-des-Prés (806) * Imperial Palace, Ingelheim (completed after 814) *

Abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nun ...

in Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu (815) * Lobbes Abbey,

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

(819–823) * St. Michael, Fulda, rotunda and crypt (822) * Einhard's Basilica, Steinbach (827) * Saint Justinus' church, Frankfurt-Höchst (830) * Broich Castle, Muelheim an der Ruhr (884) * Abbey of Corvey (885) * St. George, Oberzell in Reichenau Island (888)

Notable Carolingian architects

* Odo of Metz, architect of Charlemagne's

with the Palatine Chapel * Ratgar of fulda

References

*Conant, K. J. (1978) ''Carolingian and Romanesque Architecture, 800–1200'' * Pevsner, N. (1963) ''An Outline of European Architecture''

Gallery

File:Michaelskirche Fulda 4.JPG, St. Michael's Church, Fulda File:Einhardsbasilika bei Michelstadt.jpg, Einhard's Basilica File:Justinuskirche Höchst south-east view November 2006.jpg, Saint Justinus' church, Frankfurt-Höchst File:Corvey Westwerk 2.jpg, Princely Abbey of Corvey File:StGeorgReichenau-pjt.jpg, Abbey of Reichenau {{Authority control 8th-century architecture 9th-century architecture Architectural history Architectural styles Medieval architecture

Carolingian architecture

Notable examples

Notable Carolingian architects

See also

References

Gallery