The Carolingian Renaissance is the name given to the revival of classical learning and culture that occurred during the late eighth and ninth centuries, a period that roughly corresponds to the rule of the Frankish emperor Charlemagne (768–814) and his successors during the Carolingian dynasty.

Prior to Charlemagne's ascension to the throne, the Merovingian dynasty had established a court school (known as the scola palatina) in order to prepare young Frankish nobles for their future political roles. However, literary education remained the responsibility of the monastic and cathedral schools. Charlemagne vastly increased the responsibilities of the palace school, which became an important repository of learning and a centre of educational reform. The emperor also issued a series of royal decrees calling for the general improvement of all schools throughout the empire.