Trier, Constantine Basilika

The most unusual church building in Trier (perhaps unique in all of Europe) is the Constantine Basilika, in what had been the Roman Imperial Palace. Originally built by Emperor Constantine in 310 AD, the Basilica is a massive rectangular brick structure that was used for court functions by the Romans for 100 years. In the 10th century it was presented to the Archbishop of Trier. Later it again became part of a palace, then it was used as a military hospital, and finally in 1856 was handed over to the Protestant community as a place of worship. Large photographs show the Basilika as it was at various times before WW II, and as it appeared after the bombing on August 14, 1944. It’s been beautifully renovated since that fateful day.

The interior of the Basilika is overwhelming — the largest room constructed by the Romans, 220 feet long, 90 feet wide, and 99 feet from floor to the beautiful coffered ceiling, made of decorative sunken wooden panels. An enormous single-nave rectangular hall with no columns or obstructions of any kind — just one gigantic breath-taking “simple room.” And remember, while it was engineered, designed, and constructed without a modern day building permit, with an occasional redo it has served the citizens of Trier (and Rome) for nearly 1,700 years.