The High Cathedral of Saint Peter in Trier (), or Trier Cathedral (), is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

Trier Trier ( , ; ), formerly and traditionally known in English as Trèves ( , ) and Triers (see also Names of Trier in different languages, names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle (river), Moselle in Germany. It lies in a v ...

Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; ; ; ) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the sixteen states. Mainz is the capital and largest city. Other cities are ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. It is the oldest cathedral in Germany and the largest religious structure in Trier, notable for its long life span and grand design. The central part of the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

was built of Roman brick in the early fourth century, resulting in a cathedral that was added onto gradually in different eras. The imposing Romanesque westwork, with four towers and an additional

apse In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...

, has been copied repeatedly. (1992): ''Romanesque Architecture and Sculpture in the Meuse Valley'', pp. 56–58. Maaslandse Monografieën #8. Eisma, Leeuwarden/Mechelen. The Trier Cathedral Treasury contains an important collection of

Christian art Christian art is sacred art which uses subjects, themes, and imagery from Christianity. Most Christian groups use or have used art to some extent, including early Christian art and architecture and Christian media. Images of Jesus and narrative ...

. In 1986 the church was listed as a

UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

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

History

According to certain sources, the cathedral was commissioned by Emperor

Constantine the Great Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a Constantine the Great and Christianity, pivotal ro ...

and built on top of a palace of

Saint Helena Saint Helena (, ) is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory. Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km ...

, his mother. Following the conversion of Constantine to Christianity,

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

Maximin (329–346) is said to have coordinated the construction of a cathedral, which at the time was the grandest ensemble of ecclesiastical structures in the West outside

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. On a groundplan four times the size of the present cathedral no less than four

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

s, a baptistry and outbuildings were constructed. Archaeological research confirms that the current cathedral, as well as the adjacent cloisters and Church of Our Lady, is raised upon the foundations of ancient Roman buildings of ''

Augusta Treverorum Augusta Treverorum (Latin for "City of Augustus in the Land of the Treveri") was a Ancient Rome, Roman city on the Moselle River, from which modern Trier emerged. The date of the city's founding is placed between the construction of the first Rom ...

''. The four piers of the crossing of the present church, as well as parts of the brick outer walls are remnants from this period. The fourth-century church was left in ruins by the

Franks file:Frankish arms.JPG, Aristocratic Frankish burial items from the Merovingian dynasty The Franks ( or ; ; ) were originally a group of Germanic peoples who lived near the Rhine river, Rhine-river military border of Germania Inferior, which wa ...

, with only the outer walls remaining, but it was rebuilt. It was destroyed again by the

Vikings Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...

in 882. Under Archbishop Egbert (d. 993) rebuilding started, completed by Poppo of Babenberg (1016–1041). The famous west façade dates from this period, although the apse was not finished until 1196. Throughout the centuries the church continued to be rebuilt and embellished, according to the fashion of the period with Gothic vaults, Renaissance sculptures and Baroque chapels, but the overall style of the building remains Romanesque with a Roman core.

Description

Exterior

Large sections of Roman brickwork are visible on the north façade. These belong to an originally square building, of which ancient masonry still stands on the opposite side. These preserved parts of the core building from around 340 make the cathedral the oldest church building still in use in Germany. The somewhat older Trier

Aula Palatina __NOTOC__ The Aula Palatina, also called Basilica of Constantine (), at Trier, Germany, is a Roman palace basilica and an early Christian structure built between AD 300 and 310 during the reigns of Constantius Chlorus and Constantine the Great. ...

(around 311) was, however, not built as a church, but as an

Aula Regia An ''aula regia'' ( lat. for "royal hall"), also referred to as a ''palas hall'', is a name given to the great hall in an imperial (or governor's) palace in the Ancient Roman architecture and in the derived medieval audience halls of emperors, ki ...

, and the core building of St. Gereon's Basilica, Cologne, from between 350 and 365, which also still partially exists, was built as a mausoleum. While Trier ''(

)'' belonged to the province of

Gallia Belgica Gallia Belgica ("Belgic Gaul") was a Roman province, province of the Roman Empire located in the north-eastern part of Roman Gaul, in what is today primarily northern France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, along with parts of the Netherlands and German ...

, Cologne ''(

Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium was the Roman colony in the Rhineland from which the city of Cologne, now in Germany, developed. It was usually called ''Colonia'' (colony) and was the capital of the Roman province of Germania Inferior and ...

)'' was the capital of the Roman province of

Germania Inferior ''Germania Inferior'' ("Lower Germania") was a Roman province from AD 85 until the province was renamed ''Germania Secunda'' in the 4th century AD, on the west bank of the Rhine bordering the North Sea. The capital of the province was Colonia Cl ...

. These were the two largest

ancient Roman In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...

cities in present-day Germany. The imposing westwork of Trier Cathedral consist of five symmetrical sections and is typical of

Romanesque architecture Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe that was predominant in the 11th and 12th centuries. The style eventually developed into the Gothic style with the shape of the arches providing a simple distinction: the Ro ...

under the Salian emperors (11th century). The westwork was started by Poppo von Babenberg (1010–47) and completed by Eberhard (1047–66). Its four towers are more or less symmetrically placed on both sides of the western

. It served as an example for many other churches in Rhine-Meuse area. The

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

inscription above the clock on the tallest tower reads ''"NESCITIS QVA HORA DOMINVS VENIET"'' ("You do not know what time the Lord is coming"). The east choir is less prominent, due to its built-in location and the addition of the Chapel of the Holy Tunic in the early 18th century. Römisches Mauerwerk am Dom in Trier. 02.jpg, Roman brickwork at the north façade Trier BW 2013-04-14 15-57-49.jpg, Westwork with four towers Détail façade Cathédrale de Trèves 290608 1.jpg, Detail westwork in Salian style Trier Dom St. Peter 10.JPG, East choir and Chapel of the Holy Tunic Trier Dom Heiltumskammer Wappen.jpg, Coat of arms of Johann Hugo von Orsbeck, from 1676 to 1711 Archbishop of Trier

Interior

The interior measures 112.5 by 41 meter. It consists of three largely Romanesque

s with Gothic vaulting. The original Roman structure is difficult to read on the inside but its basic rectangular form may still be recognized in the three easternmost bays of the

. The four original columns were reused in the 11th century but changed into cruciform piers.Den Hartog (1992), p. 89. A

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

chapel for the relic of the Seamless robe of Jesus, recovered from the previous main altar in 1512, was added behind the east choir and is visible through an opening in the wall. The west choir is also decorated in the style of the German Baroque, and so are the chapels of Our Lady and the Holy Sacrament (with the "Golden Gate", part of the former

rood screen The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, o ...

), and most of the altars in the church. A Romanesque tympanum depicts Christ with the Virgin Mary and Saint Peter. The main church organ appears old but dates from 1974. File:Trier Dom BW 23.JPG, Interior view towards the west File:Trier - Dom, Westkuppel 2007-10-14.jpg, Baroque west choir ceiling File:Trier Dom R07.jpg, Golden Gate File:Hauptorgel Trierer Dom (2009-05-20 Sp).JPG, Church organ

Burials

* Henry I, archbishop of Trier († 964) * Udo, archbishop of Trier († 1078) * Baldwin, archbishop of Trier († 1354) * Bohemond II, archbishop of Trier († 1367) * Richard von Greiffenklau zu Vollrads, archbishop-elector of Trier († 1531) * Lothar von Metternich, archbishop-elector of Trier († 1623) * Johann Hugo von Orsbeck, archbishop-elector of Trier († 1711) *

Franz Georg von Schönborn Franz Georg von Schönborn (15 June 168218 January 1756) was a German nobleman who served as Archdiocese of Trier, Archbishop and Electorate of Trier, Elector of Trier from 1729 until his death in 1756. He was also Bishopric of Worms, Prince-Bis ...

, archbishop-elector of Trier († 1756) File:Trier Dom BW 11.JPG, Greiffenklau Altar, 1531 File:Trier Dom BW 20.JPG, Metternich Altar, 1623 File:Trier Dom BW 22.JPG, Orsbeck Altar, 1711 File:Grabaltar für Erzbischof Franz Georg von Schönborn, Trierer Dom-3506.jpg, Schönborn Altar, 1756

Treasury and relics

The Seamless Robe of Jesus, the robe said to have been worn by Jesus shortly before his crucifixion, is the best-known relic of the cathedral. It is kept in an annex chapel and shown to the public infrequently, most recently in 2012. The skull of

St. Helena Saint Helena (, ) is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory. Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km ...

, the mother of Emperor Constantine, is displayed in the east crypt of the cathedral. Her drinking cup is kept in the cathedral's treasury as well as the so-called Egbert Shrine. This is a decorated portable altar that contained the sole of a sandal of St. Andrew and other relics. Another reliquary from the same period contains a Holy Nail from the Cross of Jesus. Both objects are considered highlights of Ottonion goldsmithery. File:The Holy Tunic of Jesus Christ in Trier, Germany.JPG, Holy Tunic File:CaputSHelenae 0578a.jpg, Skull of St. Helena File:2018 Trier, Domschatzkammer, Andreas-Tragaltar 02.jpg, Egbert Shrine File:2018 Trier, Domschatzkammer, Reliquiar des hl Nagels 1.jpg, Holy Nail Reliquary

Cloisters

The Gothic

cloisters A cloister (from Latin , "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cathedral or church, commonly against a warm southe ...

were built between 1245 and 1270. They connect the Cathedral and the Liebfrauenkirche. In the western section of the cloisters is a chapel where the cathedral's canons were buried. On the outside wall is a bell from 1682. Adjacent to the cloisters are several annex buildings. The so-called "Romanesque Room" was the former

cathedral school Cathedral schools began in the Early Middle Ages as centers of advanced education, some of them ultimately evolving into medieval universities. Throughout the Middle Ages and beyond, they were complemented by the monastic schools. Some of these ...

. The "Gothic Room" was used for distributing bread to the poor. File:Cloister of the Cathedral of St. Peter (Trier).jpg, Cloister yard File:Trier - Dom, Kreuzgang (2017-05-30 Sp).JPG, Cloister corridor File:Trier Dom BW 2017-06-16 15-27-18.jpg, Traced window File:Trier D PM 011597.jpg, Statues of bishops

Bells

The cathedral has 10 ringing bells in total hung only in the South Tower. All were cast in 1949 by the Otto bell foundry in Bremen-Hemelingen. The largest bell or bourdon is called "Christus & Helena" and it weighs 8 tons. In Germany, the bells are always numbered from largest to smallest, Bell 1 is always the

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

or bourdon. 5 of the 10 bells work for the clock which play a unique clock chime, each stroke of the 4 bells in order represents a quarter-hour has past; Bell 8 strikes for the quarter-hour, Bell 6 strikes for the half-hour, Bell 7 strikes for the quarter to hour and finally Bell 4 strikes for the hour. After the melody is played, Bell 2 which is the 2nd bourdon chimes the hours.

References

External links

Official Website

Music
{{Authority control

Cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

World Heritage Sites in Germany Romanesque architecture in Germany