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Published: June 30th 2022
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Porta Nigra
Porta Nigra. Roman gateway to Trier (Augusta Treverorum). The Porta Nigra was built in grey sandstone between 186 and 200 AD as one of four city gates. The Greek monk Simeon lived as a hermit in the ruins of the Porta Nigra from 1028 to 1035. It became a church thereafter and for this reason it has survived in good condition. The apse to the the right was added in the 11th century.
"Porta Nigra, a well-preserved town-gate with towers of defence, and the finest of the Roman structures at Troves. This magnificent relic, dating from the second half of the 3rd cent, of our era, is 118 ft. long, 75-95 ft. high, and 52-69 ft. in depth. It consists of three stories, with two gateways, 23 ft. in height, and is constructed of huge blocks of lias sandstone, blackened with age and fastened with iron braces instead of mortar. The Porta Nigra was a fortified city-gate, the exterior of which could be closed by a portcullis and defended by the two towers. If the enemy succeeded in storming the gate he found himself in a small enclosed court, secured on the side next the town by a barricade and exposed to a raking fire from all parts of the gate-house. — At both ends there are still traces of the junction of the gate with the walls, and at the W. end is a doorway, which opened on the ramparts. A portion of the old Roman wall has been uncovered on the N.E. side of the gate, underneath the medieval wall. In 1028-35 the E. tower was occupied by a Greek hermit named Simeon, and on his death the structure was converted into two churches, one above the other. In 1817 all the later additions were removed except the apse at the E. end, and in 1876 the original Roman structure was thoroughly disclosed".--Baedeker 1911.
Part of the Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier UNESCO World Heritage site.
DSC_0715 Trier was an afternoon excursion out from Luxembourg. I had last visited Trier in 1970 and was eager to visit again. It is only a short distance from the Luxembourg border. The mortorcoach entered Trier by way of the
Römerbrücke over the Moselle, a stone bridge originally constructed by the Romans in the second century. That was just the beginning of the wealth of Roman ruins and structures to be found here.
Formal sightseeing was of the Roman Imperial Baths (
Kaiserthermen). They were built in the 4th century during the reign of Constantine the Great. A our starts at the visitor center were a huge foot from a statue of Constantine is on display. The baths covered a sizable area, much of it underground. Cold, warm and hot bathing spaces were provided, as well as a sauna room and a heated swimming pool. The apse that once formed the front of the complex has been partially reconstructed. Visitors are able to go inside the tunnels to view various chambers. Pipes are visible as are stone benches for changing or steaming.
The group dispersed here, to meet up later. Many went to the Hauptmarkt to have a German beer. Susan
Constantine' Foot
Foot of Emperor Constantine the Great at the Imperial Baths. The giant foot formed part of a 12 metre high statue of a seated Constantine.
DSC_0665 and I continued on the route towards the Porta Nigra. This path led first to the 18th century Rococo Electors Palace (
Kurfürstliches Palais). The palace is fronted by a beautiful formal garden. Looming behind it was the Roman basilica of Constantine. This building is a wonder. That the
Aula Palatina (Basilica of Constantine) built by the Romans in 310 CE is still in use as a functioning building gives one pause. It was used as a residence fo the Bishop of Trier during the Middle Ages. In 1856 it became a Protestant church and remains remains so today. I could only think of the Pantheon (125 CE) in Rome to compare it with.
The Cathedral of Trier was built on the foundation of earlier Roman buildings, including a church sad to have been built in the fourth century. That would have made it a contemporary of the Imperial Baths, an interesting conjunction of cultures one never considers. Construction of the present cathedral was underway by the 10th century. Some of the earlier Roman interior columns were reused in the overall Romanesque style building. Adjacent the cathedral is
Liebfrauenkirche (Church of Our Lady). It is in French Gothic style, built
Kaiserthermen
Kaiserthermen - Imperial Baths of Trier. Reconstructed apse over the calendarium.
Begun by Constantine in the early 4th century AD, the baths were never completed. Archaeological work began in 1875.
"Adjoining the Kaiser-Str. are the Roman Baths, an imposing structure of the 4th cent. A. D., 564 ft. in length, excavated in 1877-85. The principal façade was turned towards the N. The masonry above the level of the ground has almost entirely disappeared, though at the beginning of the 17th cent, it was preserved up to the second story. At the N.W. end of the excavation is the rectangular Frigidarium (cold baths); to the S. of this are the cruciform Tepidarium (warmer baths) and the cruciform Caldarium (warm baths); to the E. is the heated swimming-basin".--Baedeker 1911
Part of the Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier UNESCO World Heritage site.
IMG_3737 in the 13th century. The church also replaced early Roman ecclesiastical constructions of the 4th century. Time did not permit us to explore the interiors of either.
Pushing on through the
Haupmarkt, Susan and I arrived at the main event, the
Porta Nigra. It is the Roman structure most closely associated with Trier. The Porta Nigra was the principal gate of Roman
Augusta Treverorum. The gatehouse was built of sandstone about 170 CE. A city wall surrounded the Roman city. (There were three other gates that are no longer extant.) Like the Aula Palatina, it has survived from antiquity remarkably intact. We walked through it and observed it from all angles. It has been used as church, and much was added to it, perhaps saving the original core. It was Napoleon who ordered the Porta Nigra be returned to its Roman form.
Trier has a wealth of structural artifacts with attachments to the Roman and early Christian eras. They are all included in the Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier UNESCO World Heritage site.
The group's appointed meeting place was near the Simeonstiftplatz. The small plaza is near the Porta
Kaiserthermen
Kaiserthermen - Imperial Baths of Trier. Layout of the site. Begun by Constantine in the early 4th century AD, the baths were never completed. Archaeological work began in 1875.
"Adjoining the Kaiser-Str. are the Roman Baths, an imposing structure of the 4th cent. A. D., 564 ft. in length, excavated in 1877-85. The principal façade was turned towards the N. The masonry above the level of the ground has almost entirely disappeared, though at the beginning of the 17th cent, it was preserved up to the second story. At the N.W. end of the excavation is the rectangular Frigidarium (cold baths); to the S. of this are the cruciform Tepidarium (warmer baths) and the cruciform Caldarium (warm baths); to the E. is the heated swimming-basin".--Baedeker 1911
Part of the Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier UNESCO World Heritage site.
DSC_0667 Nigra and just off Nordalle that divides the old and new parts of the city. It was amusing to see a HoHo bus with an image Karl Marx on the side. Marx was born in Trier in 1818 and his birth house is a Marx museum. Trier seems to like this native son.
The coach now took us up into the hills above Trier for dinner at Berghotel Kockelsberg. There was a panoramic view of Trier from the dining room. It was well that Susan and I had a light lunch, for the fare here was hale and hearty German food! An opening soup course. A platter of pommes frites (French Fries). and cheese rolls. Another platter of Pork Roast in mushroom sauce. Cheesecake for dessert. We did not return to Luxembourg hungry!
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