IndexIntroductionHistoryCharlemagne's DenariusPalace of AachenConclusionIntroductionThe Cambridge dictionary defines the phrase "melting pot" as a place where many different people and ideas coexist together, often mixing and producing something new. Today, the reign of Charlemagne and his court is often described as a cultural melting pot, but is this also true of the art and architecture produced there? Yes, the art and architecture of the Carolingian period can also be described as a cultural melting pot because old and new ideas in art and architecture, as well as cultures, come together to create a new style of art and architecture. I will demonstrate this by first discussing the history of Charlemagne and his court and then discussing the works of Charlemagne's silver denarius, and the art and architecture found in the Aachen palace complex, showing how they reflect aspects of a cultural melting pot, as the court of Charlemagne did. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay History Charlemagne, or Charlemagne, was a Frank and ruled during a period called the Carolingian period. His empire was a combination of many kingdoms that he and his predecessors had conquered over the decades and this empire was located in the area that is now modern France and part of modern Germany. Charlemagne continued and intensified the alliance with the Catholic Church begun by his father, Pepin the Short. This alliance was useful to both parties because the Church needed Charlemagne's Empire to defend itself and Charlemagne needed the Church as a means to legitimize his government and authority. This alliance intensified when the Pope crowned Charlemagne Holy Roman Emperor in the year 800. Charlemagne's reign was unique in that it brought together many Western European kingdoms that had not been united for a long time. Since he ruled over so many different kingdoms and people who had different cultures and languages, he was committed to creating a consolidated empire with continuity throughout. There were many initiatives he launched to achieve this objective. He started by using education and religion to bring everyone together. He wanted the upper classes to be educated, especially church members, so that they would teach the same correct messages to ordinary civilians. Charlemagne brought educators from around the world to increase education within the empire. He returned to the use of Latin in what he believed to be its original classical form and had many people learn this form of Latin so that there would be a common written language. In addition to this he created the Carolingian minuscule, a new script for use in manuscripts. He created it to be uniform and easy to read so that every literate person in the empire could read any manuscript he collected. Charlemagne was focused on correction, reform, and standardization in order to reunite the empire as a whole. Another goal of Charlemagne was the revival of the classics, especially that of ancient Rome. He was fascinated by Constantine, the Roman emperor who brought Christianity to the Romans. Charlemagne tried to enact Constantine in every way possible because he saw himself as similar, as a Christian Holy Roman Emperor. Charlemagne's Denarius The first work I will talk about is Charlemagne's silver denarius. This is a coin created during the Carolingian period. The denarius is a clear example of how Charlemagne enacted Ancient Rome, but combined it with new ideas. On the obverse of the coin is an image of Charlemagne in profile, which is clearly an idea derived from ancient Roman coins. However, alsoif it clearly copies the style of Ancient Roman coins, the reverse side of this coin is different from those of Ancient Rome. On the back of Charlemagne's Denarius there is an image showing a church with a cross in the center. Ancient Roman coins bear the image of a pagan temple on the reverse. Clearly Charlemagne took this general idea, but changed it and added new ideas, Christianity, to make it relevant to the present day while still referencing the past. This is an example of a cultural melting pot because ideas from the past and present come together to create something completely new.Aachen PalaceAachen Palace was one of Charlemagne's most important palaces and he resided there often. The palace is located on the site of an ancient Roman city and the remains of the Roman baths still exist on the site. Besides that, the chapel found in the palace complex is one of the best preserved Carolingian buildings and is therefore one of the most famous. Aachen Palace is a large complex consisting of several buildings. The main structures are the throne room, the gate and the chapel. I will discuss each structure and how it reflects the characteristics of a cultural melting pot. I'll start by discussing the throne room. This building is located in the northern part of the complex and is connected to the gate by a two-story walkway. The throne room is two floors and has three apses. This three-apse style is called a triclinium and is reminiscent of Hadrian's villa at Tivoli, which has a very similar three-apse style. In addition to this, there are other references to Rome in the building, such as the recessed windows reminiscent of Constantine's audience hall in Trier. These are the two main ways in which this building draws on ancient styles and ideas. This building shows the combination of Ancient Rome, Christian Rome, and new styles coming together to create a completely new style known as the Carolingian style. The next building in the palace complex that I will talk about is the palace chapel, also called the Palatine Chapel. As already mentioned, the Palatine Chapel is one of the best preserved examples of Carolingian construction as well as one of the most famous. The chapel has a central octagonal plan. The interior features an ambulatory around the central nave with a second floor gallery above and a dome above the nave. This specific type of plan is reminiscent of two famous buildings. The first is the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy, and the second is the Golden Reception Hall of the Sacred Palace of Constantinople. This shows the influence of both Rome and early Christian Byzantine art coming into this new church, bringing together ideas and influences from different places and periods to create a new idea. The chapel also has a throne for Charlemagne and it is believed that this throne was placed directly under the image of Christ, showing the connection between Charlemagne and his government and higher powers. Another important aspect of this chapel is that Charlemagne used spolia in its creation. This means that material from other Ancient Roman artworks was removed from where it was originally placed and transported to Aachen, Germany, and used to build this new chapel. An example of spolia used in the palace chapel are the columns used in the gallery arches. These columns serve no structural purpose, so their sole purpose is a deliberate and symbolic use of ancient materials to show a connection between Charlemagne and his empire and Rome. This chapel shows a continuation of Carolingian art and architecture being the culmination of old and new ideas to create something completely new. The last two works of the Aachen Palace that I will talk about are the pine cone and the bronze doors. The first work, how.