Most cultural movements aren’t grass roots—they’re top down.
Charlemagne’s cultural rebirth, the “Carolingian renaissance,” proved how real cultural change is planned and executed by society’s elites…🧵
In the late 8th and early 9th century, Charlemagne ruled vast lands from Northern Spain to the North Sea.
Charlemagne was a skilled administrator, but his newfound empire had problems.
Though the empire was flourishing economically—driven in part by a slave trade created by Charlemagne’s conquests—the centuries since Rome’s fall took a toll on the cultural development of the West.
Latin literacy was falling, a blow to the administrative and scholarly classes since Latin was essential for empire-wide communication.
Likewise, an uneducated clergy had difficulty interpreting and preaching on the Vulgate Bible, the universal biblical translation of the time.
On an aesthetic level, there were no cohesive architectural or artistic styles that marked his lands as a bonafide empire—empires needed grand building projects and beautiful art.
In short, the Frankish Kingdom wasn’t the beacon of culture that Charlemagne wanted it to be.
He devised a plan to create a “cultural rebirth.” He looked to ages past—to the high cultures of Greece and Rome—as models.
No scholar or artist himself, he needed to gather the brightest minds to pull off his cultural rejuvenation.
He brought in scholars from all across Europe: Peter of Pisa, a grammarian and poet, became Charlemagne’s Latin tutor; Paulinus of Aquileia, a prominent theologian, spearheaded the “Christianization” of the empire; and Paul the Deacon became the kingdom’s most eminent historian.
But the main architect behind Charlemagne's new renaissance was undoubtedly Alcuin of York, who was described in Einhard’s Vita Karoli Magni (Life of Charlemagne) as “The most learned man anywhere to be found."
Alcuin became one of the king’s closest advisors.
A British scholar and cleric, he saw himself as sowing seeds for a brighter future through education:
“In the morning, at the height of my powers, I sowed the seed in Britain, now in the evening when my blood is growing cold I am still sowing in France, hoping both will grow.”
Two documents penned by Alcuin, the “Admonitio Generalis” and “De Litteris Colendis,” laid out Charlemagne’s plan of enculturation. His task was twofold:
-Christianize the kingdom by reforming/disciplining the clergy
-Educational reform through the establishment of new schools
Culture, Charlemagne envisioned, would flow downstream from a religious and educated court literati—the “intellectual” class. It was a rigidly top-down approach.
And for the most part, it worked.
Religious texts were made more accessible, deepening Christianity’s foothold throughout the kingdom.
Schools taught religious music, singing, and psalms which encouraged the spread of the faith, and a focus on grammar made it so religious texts could be revised and edited.
There was an overall increase in literature, law, music, architecture, visual art, and liturgical reforms.
Newly established schools became effective centers of education, and new editions and copies of classic works, both Christian and pagan, were produced.
A new style of art emerged; a unique blend of classical mediterranean art forms and northern elements came to be known as “Carolingian Art.”
Defined by a lavish and dignified style, it was a precursor to Romanesque and Gothic art that later dominated Europe.
Illumination and ornate metalwork adorned manuscripts while frescoes and mosaics became popular in Churches and palaces.
Christian imagery was a recurring theme in Carolingian art—a visual reminder of Charlemagne’s mission to create a unified Christian empire.
Architectural projects also boomed during the Carolingian period.
Between 768 and 855, a whopping 27 new cathedrals, 417 monastic buildings and 100 royal residences were built. During Charlemagne's reign alone, 16 cathedrals, 232 monasteries and 65 palaces were constructed.
Lost building techniques were incorporated into new projects. An ancient architectural treatise written by Vitruvius was found, providing a template for stone-building techniques.
Thus, new stone structures were built in northern Europe for the first time since Rome’s presence.
Roman basilicas and triumphal arches were used as templates for Carolingian buildings, though the Franks put their own twist on them.
The Palatine Chapel at Aachen reflects late Roman building techniques with its vaults and arches.
Charlemagne’s efforts to revitalize the Church and educational institutions had a lasting effect, producing countless scholars and theologians.
Today, Carolingian cathedrals and palaces still stand as reminders of this mini-renaissance of the 8th and 9th centuries.
The Carolingian renaissance is a reminder that cultural developments are so often implemented hierarchically.
Though it’s tempting to envision a world that’s shaped by organic movements, real civilizational change usually requires a green light from the top.
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Carolingian architecture wasn’t as flashy as later movements like Gothic or Baroque, but it had a distinct, almost charming style that set it apart from older Roman construction.
It was the template for a new civilizational look.
A last note on Charlemagne: he never actually learned to read or write despite surrounding himself with so many scholars. He simply could not master it in his old age.
He never achieved philosopher-king status, but his people benefited greatly from his educational reforms.
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But masterpieces like the works of Raphael and Michelangelo were funded by individual egos.
Here’s why it matters…🧵
A major factor in the proliferation of art during periods like the Renaissance was a concept called patronage, where princes, popes, and other influential people provided funds for painters, sculptors, and musicians.
Patronage was how artists made their living—they didn’t receive a steady income unless they were actively creating art.
Patrons would put up the funds for a project—often Church artwork or private commissions for nobility—and the artist would see that project through.
Young Napoleon was bullied by his aristocratic peers.
He was aloof, spoke French with a funny accent, and of low nobility.
But he sought refuge in books — igniting a lifelong obsession. Reading became a “matter of power” for him.
Here’s how books guided his every move…🧵
Author Louis Sarkozy’s work “Napoleon's Library” paints a vivid picture of the emperor as an avid reader, enjoying history, philosophy, religion, and fiction.
His official portraits even reflect his love of reading — he’s often depicted in front of books and libraries.
According to Sarkozy, books were crucial to his early formation and later military acumen:
…they molded his adolescent mind and influenced his statesmanship. They made him the general he would become and accompanied him to his grave.”
Dueling in the West can be traced to pre-Christian practices like the Norse “holmgang”.
A Viking-era duel, the holmgang was a legal way to settle disputes. Whether it was for honor, a legal dispute, or revenge, it was fought regardless of the parties’ social status.
Theoretically, any offended party could challenge the other party to a holmgang, whereafter the duel would be fought a few days later. Sometimes the duel would take place on a small island, or “holm”, where the practice gets its name.
The Ancient Greeks basically invented Western philosophy. 2500 years on and we’re still studying their ideas.
Here are 10 Greek philosophers you need to know🧵
1. Thales, 7th cent. BC
Thales was part of a new generation of thinkers trying to uncover how the cosmos were constructed without relying on the gods as an explanation. An early Monist, he considered a single element to be the main building block of the cosmos.
2. Anaximander, 610 BC
A student of Thales, Anaximander saw the cosmos as ruled by laws, similar to human societies. Any action that disturbed the divine law would fail. He also explored astronomy, tracking the movements of the heavenly bodies, and developed a map of the cosmos.
Kenneth Clark lamented that civilization was a fragile thing.
He observed three “enemies” that could topple even the mightiest cultures — what are they?🧵
The first enemy is fear:
“fear of war, fear of invasion, fear of plague and famine, that make it simply not worthwhile constructing things, or planting trees or even planning next year’s crops. And fear of the supernatural, which means that you daren’t question anything.”
Fear paralyzes a people and stifles adventure, invention, and grand building projects.
The great men of history read intensively — it's how they gained an edge over their rivals.
We can do the same, today.
So here are the classics that influenced the greats, from ancient warriors to modern emperors🧵
Alexander
According to Plutarch, Alexander was given an annotated copy of the Iliad which he carried with him everywhere.
He considered it a “perfect portable treasure of all military virtue and knowledge” and was especially fascinated by the character Achilles.
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius was extremely well-read. His tutor Fronto described how the emperor read works of Cato the Elder, Cicero, Lucretius, and Seneca in addition to numerous Greek tragedies.