Dana Marie Polanichka

This dissertation explicates the nature of Carolingian religious and social life through the lens of sacred space. Recognizing that the widespread Carolingian religious and social reform effort took place in churches, the project aims to understand these buildings by examining their structures and decoration, how and why they become sacred, who considers them sacred, and how their sanctification dictates behaviors and beliefs. Analysis is presented in in three sections: the conception, construction, and experience of sacred space in the Carolingian church. The varied sources are both textual and visual, including legislation, saints’ lives, liturgies, prayers, letters, art, architecture, and archaeology.