__NOTOC__ The Aula Palatina, also called Basilica of Constantine (german: Konstantinbasilika), at

Trier Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

, is a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

palace

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its nam ...

and an

early Christian Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewis ...

structure built between AD 300 and AD 310 during the reigns of

Constantius Chlorus Flavius Valerius Constantius "Chlorus" ( – 25 July 306), also called Constantius I, was Roman emperor from 305 to 306. He was one of the four original members of the Tetrarchy established by Diocletian, first serving as caesar from 293 ...

and

Constantine the Great Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterran ...

. Today it is used as the Church of the Redeemer and owned by a congregation within the

Evangelical Church in the Rhineland Protestant Church in the Rhineland (german: Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland; EKiR) is a United Protestant church body in parts of the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Hesse ( Wetzlar). This is actual ...

. The basilica contains the largest extant

hall In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the gre ...

from

antiquity Antiquity or Antiquities may refer to: Historical objects or periods Artifacts *Antiquities, objects or artifacts surviving from ancient cultures Eras Any period before the European Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) but still within the histo ...

(see List of ancient Greek and Roman roofs. The hall has a length of 67 m, a width of 26.05 m and a height of 33 m. Because of its testimony to the imperial importance of Trier during the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...

and its architecture, the Aula Palatina was designated as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

in 1986 as part of the Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier site.

Description and History

Although the Aula Palatina generally follows the standard architectural plan of earlier

basilicas In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its nam ...

, with a lack of columns in the interior and an open, box-like shape, it is unique in its addition of a transverse vestibule reminiscent of a

narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narth ...

. The basilica was made of solid brick, with black-and-white marble floors, and was equipped with a floor and wall-heating system (

hypocaust A hypocaust ( la, hypocaustum) is a system of central heating in a building that produces and circulates hot air below the floor of a room, and may also warm the walls with a series of pipes through which the hot air passes. This air can warm th ...

). The basilica was originally part of a palace complex and was not a free-standing building, but had other smaller buildings (such as a forehall, a

vestibule Vestibule or Vestibulum can have the following meanings, each primarily based upon a common origin, from early 17th century French, derived from Latin ''vestibulum, -i n.'' "entrance court". Anatomy In general, vestibule is a small space or cavity ...

and some service buildings) attached to it. The outer courtyard and railings on the first and second stories of the basilica no longer exist, but overall it is remarkably well preserved. During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, it was used as the residence for the

Bishop of Trier The Diocese of Trier, in English historically also known as ''Treves'' (IPA "tɾivz") from French ''Trèves'', is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic church in Germany.apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

was redesigned into living quarters and pinnacles were added to the top of its walls. In the 17th century, the

archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdio ...

Lothar von Metternich constructed his palace just next to the Aula Palatina and incorporated it into his palace doing some major redesign. Later, in the 19th century,

Frederick William IV of Prussia Frederick William IV (german: Friedrich Wilhelm IV.; 15 October 17952 January 1861), the eldest son and successor of Frederick William III of Prussia, reigned as King of Prussia from 7 June 1840 to his death on 2 January 1861. Also referred to ...

ordered the building to be restored to its original Roman state, which was done under the supervision of the military

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Carl Schnitzler. In 1856, the Aula Palatina became a Protestant church. In 1944, the building burned due to an air raid of the allied forces during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. When it was repaired after the war, the historical inner decorations from the 19th century were not reconstructed, so that the brick walls are visible from the inside as well. A new organ was installed in 2014. It has over 6,000 organ pipes.

Gallery

File:Konstantinbasilika Trier Innen.JPG, Interior view facing north File:Trier Konstantinbasilika, Innenansicht zur Südseite.jpg, Interior view facing south

Notes

References

* * William E. Gwatkin Jr.: ''Roman Trier'', in ''The Classical Journal'' Vol. 29, No. 1 (October 1933), 3–12
online reproduction of the original article amended by photographs
* Helen Gardner, Fred S. Kleiner, Christin J. Mamiya: ''Gardner's Art Through the Ages''. Cengage Learning, 13th edition 2008, , p. 205 () * Gerardo Brown-Manrique: ''Konstantinplatz in Trier. Between Memory and Place''. In: Places. Forum of design for the public realm. Vol. 3 (1986), No. 1, pages 31–42
Digitalisat
* Eberhard Zahn: ''Die Basilika in Trier''. Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Trier 1991, (German)

External links

*
History and visiting information

Site of the Constantine Basilica in Google Maps
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trier, Aula Palatina 310 establishments 4th-century churches United Protestant church buildings in Germany Basilica churches in Germany World Heritage Sites in Germany Aula Palatina Aula Palatina Aula Palatina Ancient Roman buildings and structures in Germany Protestant churches in Rhineland-Palatinate Secular basilicas

Description and History

Gallery

Notes

References

Further reading

External links