Carolingian Schools comprised a small number of educational institutions which had a major share in the
Carolingian renaissance, specifically
cathedral schools and
monastic schools.
Antecedents
Under the
Merovingian Kings of the Frankish kingdoms there was established at the court a 'palatial' school --
scola palatina, the chroniclers of the eighth century styled it -- for the training of the young Frankish nobles in the art of war and in the ceremonies of the court. This was not, however, a school in the modern acceptation of the term. Whatever education there was of the literary kind at that time was imparted at the monastic - and
cathedral schools.
With the accession of the future emperor
Charlemagne (768) a scheme of educational reform was inaugurated, first in the palace school itself, and later in the various schools established or reformed by imperial decrees throughout the vast empire over which Charlemagne reigned. The reform of the palace school, i.e. the change from a school of military tactics and court manners to a place of as the learning, was begun in 780, as soon as the victories over the
Lombards,
Saxons and Saracens (in Iberia) afforded.
The start at court
It was not, however, until the arrival of
Alcuin at his
court seat Aachen in 782 that the work of educational reform began to have any measure of success. Alcuin was not made head of the emperor's school in the palace, but was admitted to the council of the emperor in all educational matters and became...
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