The Carolingian Intellectual Renewal
Because of Charlemagne's love of learning, he implemented it into the Carolingian world. He not only did this because of his curiosity, but also so that the church and the government could have intelligent officials. Much of the intellectual revival happened in the monasteries that were mostly English or Irish. The monasteries began to use scriptoria, where the monks did much of their writing. Some of the types of works that the monks copied included the Bible, Latin literature, and church father writings. The Carolingians also copied things, but they used animal skins instead of papyrus. Sometimes it took an entire sheep to make a Bible. The minuscule was also implemented, which was a much simpler form of writing. This made things easier to read as well as write. Copying these manuscripts is possibly the only way that they survived.
Charlemagne encouraged people to study and to learn, so he built a school in the palace, inviting people from all around the empire to come and learn. People came from Italy, Spain, Germany and Ireland. One important scholar, Alcuin, went to a school at York. He served in Charlemagne's court from 782-796, and while he was there, he was a leader at the palace school. He used the teching of Cassiodorus as an aid, and taught Classical Latin. Because of Charlemagne's interest in learning, classical education stayed was not lost.
Charlemagne encouraged people to study and to learn, so he built a school in the palace, inviting people from all around the empire to come and learn. People came from Italy, Spain, Germany and Ireland. One important scholar, Alcuin, went to a school at York. He served in Charlemagne's court from 782-796, and while he was there, he was a leader at the palace school. He used the teching of Cassiodorus as an aid, and taught Classical Latin. Because of Charlemagne's interest in learning, classical education stayed was not lost.