Basilica of Constantine

Trier, Germany

The Basilica of Constantine (Konstantinbasilika or Aula Palatina) is a Roman palace basilica that was built by the emperor Constantine (AD 306–337) at the beginning of the 4th century.

Today it is used as a church and owned by a congregation within the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland. The basilica contains the largest extant hall from antiquity with a length of 67 m, a width of 26.05 m and a height of 33 m. It is designated as part of the Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Basilica was built around AD 310 as a part of the palace complex. Originally it was not a free standing building, but had other smaller buildings (such as a forehall, a vestibule and some service buildings) attached to it. The Aula Palatina was equipped with a floor and wall heating system (hypocaust).

During the Middle Ages, it was used as the residence for the bishop of Trier. For that, the apse was redesigned into living quarters and pinnacles were added to the top of its walls. In the 17th century, the archbishop Lothar von Metternich constructed his palace just next to the Aula Palatina and incorporating it into his palace some major redesign was done. Later in the 19th century, Frederick William IV of Prussia 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 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.

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Details

Founded: 310 AD
Category: Religious sites in Germany
Historical period: Germanic Tribes (Germany)

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Markus “markobear1” (2 years ago)
HUGE Super tanker of cathedrals Size is MASSIVE outside. but massively SPARTAN inside. Very interesting contrast to the elaborate interior decorations at the Dom
Lawrence McFarland (2 years ago)
Well restored Basilica, after damage from WW2 bombing. Now a Protestant church, it was built as a Roman Imperial throne room.
Jimmy Tilborghs (2 years ago)
Impressive building, the sober interior emphasizes the size of the building and it's architecture extremely well. Build in 4th century, now in use as a church. Contains a huge organ. Free entrance. Definitely worth a visit.
Martin Matějka (2 years ago)
Very nice place if you Are in the city you have to visit it
J. Justin Knoop (3 years ago)
We enjoyed our visit to Trier very much. So much to see. It was also very relaxing just sitting at the Plaza with a glass of good wine and people watching ❤️. We even visited the Longhorn at the Botanical Garden ?. Thank you for a nice memory.
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