Gisela was probably born sometime between 770 and 781. No birth date was ever recorded for her. She was the second or third daughter of King Charles of the Franks (Charlemagne) and his wife, Hildegard of Savoy. Gisela’s mother was Charlemagne’s first wife. Hildegard and Charlemagne had 6 children before Hildegard died.

Gisela was educated at Aachen, the site of Charles’ castle. This town is located in Germany near the city of Bonn and close to the Rhine River. Her father was a very religious man and his chapel still stands today. Charlemagne believed in education and thought it important that his children be able to read and write.

Some girls were sent to monasteries to study, but Charlemagne had his daughters educated at home. Gisela would have more than likely been educated by Alcuin, an Anglo-Saxon scholar brought to the castle by her father. In her lessons, Gisela would have studied Latin. Most books were written in Latin. She would have written on wax tablets with a stylus.