<p>The Palatine Chapel in Aahen, Germany, constructed between 792 and 814 A.D., is revered as an example of the Carolingian era with influences of the Classical, Byzantine and Pre Romanesque eras. The majesty and grandeur of this Chapel authenticates the power of Charlemagne, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, as an important part of Charlemagne’s palace at Aahen. The history of this grand structure which includes: the part it plays in the development of the Carolingian style and the incorporation of the Classical, Byzantine and Pre Romanesque eras, the connection to a venerated world leader, and the connection to a developing and changing Christian way of life, it is imperative that the Palatine Chapel in Aahen be preserved in this time capsule for posterity as a way to pass down a legacy that, if not preserved, will be lost forever. 

There is evidence of two restorations; one in 983 and one in 1881that added Gothic and Renaissance additions to the Chapel. (Pelican page 47) Odo of Metz, acknowledged as the architect of the palace and the chapel was praised by Eginhard, Charlemagne’s biographer when he described the octagonal central space which conveys an unrelenting feeling of “compartmentation,” creating a space unlike an ordinary church of its time. It is also noted that the chapel was originally envisioned as a tomb house by Odo. (Conant page 50) And, indeed, Charlemagne’s remains are located in the Chapel.
[caption id="attachment_623" align="aligncenter" width="277" caption="View of Octagon and chandelier in the Palatine Chapel                               "]<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/20124-004-BA5EECC1.jpg"><img src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/20124-004-BA5EECC1.jpg" alt="View of Octagon and chandelier in the Palatine Chapel" width="277" height="300" class="size-full wp-image-623" /></a>[/caption]
Inspired by Justinian's 6th Century San Vitale at Ravenna Church a Byzantine style construction, the Palatine Chapel offers a Middle Eastern and Oriental impression with its octagonal shape, striped arches, marbled floors, rich mosaics inlayed with gold, and the ambulatory.  Materials used in the construction of the Palatine Chapel included stone, marble, glass, stucco, and wood.” (Conant page 43).  A mosaic-faced dome constructed as a series of groin vaults opposite the entrance, on both levels, was the sanctuary. High quality brass is used extensively in decorations and as part of the architecture; doors and hand rails at the clerestory level are only a few examples. The mosaics depict Christ surrounded by the twenty-four Elders of the Apocalypse (see image) heavily adorned in gold. The massive circular brass chandelier, measuring more than fourteen feet in diameter was a gift from Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I (Barbarossa) in the twelfth century.</p>
<p>Frescoes destroyed by fire were replaced with a mosaic in 1882 and have the same stylistic quality and iconoclastic representations as the original fresco.  The Octagon is topped off with cupola, rising 102 feet above the floor and for centuries, the tallest in Europe for many centuries. The church measures “about 300 feet on the principal and transverse axes.” (Conant) On the lower level an ambulatory with dark sandstone ceiling in a groin vault construction surrounds the octagon. Those vaults, remarkable for the absence of transverse arches—Odo’s own innovation—are supported at the angles of the octagon on large piers that also carry a semicircular dividing arcade. The upper level of the ambulatory is roofed with a ring-shaped barrel vault and is separated from the octagon by a screen of two pairs of superimposed marble, porphyry, and granite columns within wide arched openings. At right angles to the main axis of the Chapel, and reached at both levels through the sanctuary, were once mirrored north and south annexes. </p>
<p>At the time of the construction of the Palatine Chapel Charlemagne had been expanding his kingdom by conquering large territories; even venturing into Spain to support the efforts of those natives of Spain in their efforts to remove Arab control. Charlemagne organized the Marca Hispanica (Spanish March) across the Pyrenees and retook Girona in 785 and Barcelona in 801, creating a stable safeguard from future Muslim aggression an established Frankish control in Iberia.  
[caption id="attachment_631" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Charlemagne’s Empire"]<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/map04chrls.gif"><img src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/map04chrls-300x260.gif" alt="" width="300" height="260" class="size-medium wp-image-631" /></a>[/caption]
With this a buffer protecting itself from the Muslims added to Charlemagne’s conquests, the empire enjoyed a relative calm.  The political elements of the empire created the feudal society that was to dominate the dark ages.  Frankish aristocrats were selected by the ruler, Charlemagne, as nobility over a given province and representatives of the central authority of the realm. With this title came executive responsibilities, judicial authority, and military control. For this service, the counts were awarded estates and, through the profits of the estates and their position, more wealth. As the Empire expanded the political, social and economic landscape changed, at least for the wealthy noblemen and the empire.  Trade routes were established, a marked emphasis on education, music and poetry gained new audiences and there was discord between the Byzantine (dominant language was Greek) and the Roman Churches (dominant language was Latin). Veneration of icons (iconoclasm) was condemned across all of Christendom.  However, the poor of the realm continued their lives as before; at the mercy of his overlord, his King, and Mother Nature. They toiled to grow crops, raise livestock, and scratch out their living.  For them, nothing had changed.  In the period between the 700 and 1000 A.D., also known as the dark ages, Islamic culture and the Byzantine civilization thrived resulting in societies that surpassed the European developing cultures vastly.   In Europe, peasants, nobles, and clergyman labored passed the downfall of the Roman Empire, reinventing their worlds. During this time in Europe, there is a marked disinterest in scholarly pursuits or academic work, creativity and advancements in arts, and no science. Though it is noted that, “there were scholars who were desperately trying to keep learning alive.” (Kries) A glaring counter point to the Classical periods; juxtaposed against the early Middle Ages, Rome and Greece give off a more radiant impression, even in the worst days of Roman and Greek history.<br />
Architectural fervor gripped the Church with an estimated new-build or restored religious structures to include 16 cathedrals and 232 monasteries during Charlemagne’s reign. Was this ambitious undertaking directly attributable to Charlemagne? Indirectly and through his associations with clerics like Angilbert, Charlemagne’s “friend and advisor, he did cause the great construction of religious building because, as Stalley states, “The relative stability which these vast territories enjoyed was to a large degree the product of Charlemagne’s ferocious military energy and the wisdom of his administration, a stability which helped to nourish the more grandiose architectural ambitions of the age.” (Stalley, page 37, 38)  It is also noted that when he came across ruins of a Church in ruins in his travels throughout the vast Empire, Charlemagne often ordered church officials to rebuild the “sacred edifices.”</p>
<p>One of Charlemagne’s endeavors was the Palatine Chapel. This building is not, as it might seem upon first blush, a replica of Roman construction but there is sophistication in its style and execution which scholars find a creditable heir to the works in Antiquity. Though it does resemble S. Vitale in Ravenna, the Palatine Chapel is more Roman than Byzantine and historians note these influences of ancient Roman there are certainly contemporary influences of Visigoth, Moorish, Byzantine and even Armenian. The overall design is much more complex than that of other churches of the day.  One of the most important Carolingian contributions to Western architectural traditions is the addition of the westwork to the church. </p>
<p>Charlemagne’s own biographer, Einhard, had this to say about the Palatine Chapel: “[...] hence it was that he [Charlemagne] built the beautiful basilica at Aix-la-Chapelle, which he adorned with gold and silver and lamps, and with rails and doors of solid brass. He had the columns and marbles for this structure brought from Rome and Ravenna, for he could not find such as were suitable elsewhere. [...] He provided it with a great number of sacred vessels of gold and silver and with such a quantity of clerical robes that not even the doorkeepers who fill the humblest office in the church were obliged to wear their everyday clothes when in the exercise of their duties. “(Einhard) But more currently, praise comes from both lay and professionals in the architectural field. Dr. Paul Frankl (1880-1962) “Der Meister von Aachen ist ein vorzüglicher Techniker, die Kirche ist in allen Teilen gewolbt, er beherrscht Kreuzwolbung, Tonne und Kuppel, er arbeitet so solid, da der Bau heute noch keine Sprunge hat.” Translation:  “The Master of Aachen is an excellent technician, the church is vaulted in all parts, he dominated Kreuzwolbung, barrel and dome, he works so solid, because the construction still has not cracked.” (Frankl, page 18) Robert Stalley commented, “The design was simplified, however, and the Carolingian composition lacks the subtlety of the curved exedrae (architectural recess or niche) found in the Byzantine-inspired model.” Stalley continued, “Although frequently copied in later centuries, it was an exceptional monument…” (Stalley page 40)<br />
The writer’s first impression was one of amazement but after more research into this impressive example of Early Christian Architecture and its connection to Charlemagne, a monumental figure of his time and revered for his genius in our own time.  The mosaics in picture form are truly spectacular but to cast ones’ eyes upon the brilliant architectural edifice is surely a wish that must be fulfilled. There is an intriguing combination of styles, expressions of religious faith, and contrasts between the relatively simple exterior and a stunning interior.  One photograph, and there are so many, is of a small niche: the walls are plaster painted white the accents in gold leaf. It was striking, luxurious, yet somehow, basic and simple. But most of all, the prospect of standing in the place where Charlemagne, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire received his sacraments is for any aficionado of artistic beauty and history, the Palatine Chapel is perhaps a heaven on earth. (World Archeology)<br />
Comparing the Palatine Chapel with the Germingny-des- Prés, Loiret, Orléanais, France (the original destroyed by Vikings but later rebuilt in 806 as part of the Palace) one notes a remarkable dissimilarity though the two churches are of the same time period.  Both the Palatine Chapel and the Germingny-des- Prés were constructed as only part of a palace grounds yet were an important ingredient in this dominantly Christian society. The exterior the Germingny-des-Pres indicates a stone construction that is quite unadorned while the Palatine Chapel includes spires, soaring arched windows with stained glass art, and the apse of the Germingny-des- Prés is low, round and small while the Palatine Chapel presents an elongated apse with those towering support columns. Examining the interior of the Germingny-des- Prés in comparison to the Palatine Chapel one first might find some similarities with the Moorish inspired striped archways and use of groin vaults. However, comparing the view of the interior of the Palatine Chapel at the left with its famous octagonal shape to that of the curvilinear aspects of the low ceilinged Germingny-des- Prés, a clear difference is noted. The expansive interior space of the Palatine Chapel is considered a remarkable feat of engineering for the times.    </p>
<p>Jesus with manuscript “I am the light…”		                             Arc of the Covenant, Germigny-des-Prés<br />
As with the Palatine Chapel, Germigny-des-Prés is adorned with beautiful mosaics and remnants of mosaics within its walls. The dome features a mosaic, the church’s most precious period possession, the Ark of the Covenant image. An iconoclastic representation, this mosaic depicts the devotees of Jesus and not Jesus’ image.  The images in the Palatine Chapel indicate a delicate balance during the Iconoclastic period; a period of controversy within the Church, and show Jesus holding a manuscript; however, a nod to the Iconoclasts is the symbols at each side of the figure. The mosaic in the apse of the Palatine Chapel was originally a fresco reproduced in mosaic in the 18th century. The glass cubes and colored stone mosaic surrounded by stucco reliefs in the Germigny-des-Prés Apse is thought to be produce by an eastern artist.<br />
The floor plan of the Palatine Chapel and the Germigny-des-Prés reveal a significant defference in the two buildings. The Germigny-des-Prés is built on the Greek-cross plan (see right image) at the east of the structure and is contained within a square, measuring thirty-two feet on each of the four sides while the Palatine Chapel is constructed in an octagonal shape with a web of interlacing supports. The Germigny-des- Prés features exterior apses unlike that of the Palatine Chapel (see left image).  </p>
<p>As one of the most significant surviving archetypes of Carolingian architecture in the world today, the Palatine Chapel and is the historic rebirth of Early Christian and Byzantine structures. Scholars praise the Palatine inspired architecture. Impressions of S. Vitale in Ravenna and with some influences of ancient Roman perceived an antique revival of its day, and contemporary Visigoth, Moorish, Byzantine and even Armenian work are clearly embody in the Palatine Chapel.<br />
As the burial place for Charlemagne, the historical significance of the Palatine Chapel is unmistakable. Indeed, the Palatine Chapel is inextricably connected to the monumental and historical figure, Charlemagne. Understanding even a microcosm of Charlemagne, the man, the King, the Conqueror, the ruler over the Holy Roman Empire, illustrates that is essential to preserve the Palatine Chapel as a relic; indeed, a relic which itself embraces precious relics within; the cloak of the Blessed Virgin; the swaddling-clothes of the Infant Jesus; the loin-cloth worn by Christ on the Cross; and the cloth on which lay the head of St. John the Baptist after his beheading to name only a few of the most important which in most cases were collected by Charlemagne himself.<br />
The beauty and elegance found in the interior of the Chapel set against its an austere exterior offers the world a snapshot of a time of conflict within the church, a revolution in building methods and design, and a significant shift in the way artistic expression was rendered, and an era that defined the feudal system.  Additionally, Aachen Cathedral was designated a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) paid homage this masterpiece of Carolingian architecture, the Aachen Palace and its Cathedral, the Palatine Chapel, by designating it a World Heritage site in 1978. (Kreis)<br />
It is imperative that we preserve for our future generations the history not only of the Palatine Chapel but that of the architectural, political, religious, artistic metamorphosis it represents; Byzantine, Classical Roman, Oriental influences, struggles within the church, and the birth of the feudal system.  It is not overstated to argue that the Palatine Chapel represents a slice of our world history spanning centuries. It is for these reasons that the structure along with its relics, art, and history must be considered for inclusion in the time capsule.</p>
<p>CITED WORKS</p>
<p>Trachtenberg, Marvin and Hyman, Isabelle. Architecture, from Prehistory to Post-Modernism. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.  1986. discussion p186-87.<br />
Kreis Phd, Steven. Charlemagne and the Carolingian Renaissance. The History Guide. August 3, 2009... lecture 20<br />
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/425185/Odo-of-Metz</p>
<p>http://www.historyguide.org, is hosted by Readyhosting.com, with servers located in Burlington, MA. – on line library source)<br />
Einhard: "The Life of Charlemagne", translated by Samuel Epes Turner. New York: Harper &amp; Brothers. 1880.<br />
Conant, Kenneth John, Carolingian and Romanesque Architecture 800 to 1200, Penguin Books: Harmondsworth, 1959.<br />
Conant, Kenneth John, The Pelican History of Art, Carolingian and Romanesque Architecture 800-1200. Penguin Books, Middlesex, England. 1974<br />
Stalley, Roger. Early Medieval Architecture, Oxford History of Art. Oxford University Press, Oxford, England. 1999<br />
Frankl, Dr. Paul. Handbuch Der Kunstwissenschaft. Handbook of Aesthetics. Construction of the Middle Ages. Academic Press Athenaion, Wildpark-Potsdam. Leipzig, Germany. 1926<br />
Moreland, John and Van de Noort, Robert. Integration and Social Reproduction in the Carolingian Empire. World Archaeology, Vol.23, No.3. Archaeology of Empires. Taylor &amp; Francis. Ltd. Abingdon Oxfordshire, England. 2/1992, (page 320-334)<br />
World Archaeology © 1992 Taylor &amp; Francis, Ltd.- http://www.jstor.org/pss/124766</p>
