Essay---Architectures in the Carolingian period

Essay---Evaluate the development of architecture during the Carolingian period. What changes occurred? How were they initiated, and what outside influences impact these changes? Use examples to support. pgs. 324-328
            Emperor Charlemagne fused Roman and Byzantine architecture techniques to construct a "royal chapel". A prime example is the Palatine Chapel of Charlemagne, Aachen, Germany built 792-805. He found inspiration in San Vital church which is located in Ravenna, Italy. The Palatine Chapel was the first vaulted structure north of the Alps. The architects of San Vital applied apse-like extensions that was omitted and simplified to create a more defined geometric form  to satisfy Charlemagne's plans. He incorporated two cylindrical towers with spiral staircases located on each side of the chapel entrance. The interior was supplied with gifts Charlemagne bestowed on the church. These gifts included: gold, silver, brass, porphyry (purple marble) imported from Ravenna, precious stones, and robes for the monks with the intent to beautify and enrich. The Palatine Chapel implemented a personal gallery above the portal modeled from the imperial gallery at Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The Emperor would appear from the large second-story window to gaze upon the alter and acknowledge those gathered in the atrium. Charlemagne sat on a marble throne behind the framing arch giving him a privileged position. Many of Charlemagne's techniques made appearances in 11th and 12th centuries referred to as Romanesque style.
               During the 9th century, a monk by the name of Benedict wrote the standard for monasteries which was supported by Charlemagne. Benedict believed clergy corruption stemmed from disorganization and laziness. Saint Gall in Switzerland exhibited the ideal monastery. Only the monks has access to the oratory (monastic church) with the cloister (colonnaded courtyard) that was set apart from the main portal. This provided everything a monk needed to conduct day-to-day life without leaving the safety of the monastery: mill, bakery, infirmary, garden, dormitory, kitchen, storage rooms, brewery, the refectory. Christian basilicas are reflected in Saint Gall with modifications to accommodate complex forms. The mathematical planning found in Greek and Roman was applied to the Carolingine Empire. Some examples: the transept and nave form a square,  a square becomes a form of measurement to indicate placement for the apse. The concept of the centula, towers that frame the end of the church, stand apart from the main facade. The Carolingian Empire mashed Greek, Roman, and Byzantine architecture to create a style all its own.