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The Aula Palatina, also called Basilica of Constantine (german: Konstantinbasilika), at Trier, Germany, is a Roman palace basilica 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 Jewish d ...
structure built between AD 300 and 310 during the reigns of Constantius Chlorus 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 Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...
.
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 actually th ...
. 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 gr ...
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 list of ancient roofs comprises roof constructions from Greek and Roman architecture ordered by clear span. Roof constructions increased in clear span as Greek and Roman engineering improved. Most buildings in classical Greece were cover ...
). 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 and its architecture, the Aula Palatina was designated as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 1986 as part of the
Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier
The Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier are buildings and monuments of particular historical importance in Trier, Germany, that were together listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. These sites demonst ...
site.
Description and History
Although the Aula Palatina generally follows the standard architectural plan of earlier basilicas, 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 basilica was made of solid brick, with black-and-white marble floors, and was equipped with a floor and wall-heating system ( hypocaust). 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, 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 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 archdi ...
Lothar von Metternich constructed his
palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...
just next to the Aula Palatina and incorporated it into it 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 Carl Schnitzler. In 1856, the Aula Palatina became a Protestant church. In 1944, the building burned due to an
air raid
Air raid may refer to:
Attacks
* Airstrike
* Strategic bombing
Other uses
* ''Air Raid'' (album), by the improvisational collective Air
* Air Raid ''(Transformers)'', the name of three characters in the Transformers universes
* ''Air Raid'' ...
of the allied forces during World War II. 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)
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