Trier Cathedral

Coordinates: 49°45′22″N 6°38′35″E / 49.75611°N 6.64306°E / 49.75611; 6.64306
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Trier Cathedral
High Cathedral of Saint Peter in Trier
Cologne
DioceseTrier
Clergy
Bishop(s)The Rt Revd Dr Stephan Ackermann[1]
ProvostWerner Rössel[2]

The High Cathedral of Saint Peter in Trier (

Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier.[4]

History

According to certain sources, the cathedral was commissioned by Emperor

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
. 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 but rebuilt. It was destroyed again by the Vikings 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. The imposing

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 apse.[3] It served as an example for many other churches in Rhine-Meuse area.[5] The Latin
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.

Interior

The interior measures 112.5 by 41 meter. It consists of three largely Romanesque naves 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 nave. The four original columns were reused in the 11th century but changed into cruciform piers.[6] A Baroque 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), 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.

  • Interior view towards the west
    Interior view towards the west
  • Baroque west choir ceiling
    Baroque west choir ceiling
  • Golden Gate
    Golden Gate
  • Church organ
    Church organ

Burials

  • Greiffenklau Altar, 1531
    Greiffenklau Altar, 1531
  • Metternich Altar, 1623
    Metternich Altar, 1623
  • Orsbeck Altar, 1711
    Orsbeck Altar, 1711
  • Schönborn Altar, 1756
    Schönborn Altar, 1756

Treasury and relics

Main article: Trier Cathedral Treasury

The

Holy Nail from the Cross of Jesus. Both objects are considered highlights of Ottonion goldsmithery
.

  • Holy Tunic
    Holy Tunic
  • Skull of St. Helena
    Skull of St. Helena
  • Egbert Shrine
    Egbert Shrine
  • Holy Nail Reliquary
    Holy Nail Reliquary

Cloisters

The Gothic

cloisters 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
. The "Gothic Room" was used for distributing bread to the poor.

  • Cloister yard
    Cloister yard
  • Cloister corridor
    Cloister corridor
  • Traced window
    Traced window
  • Statues of bishops
    Statues of bishops

Bells

The cathedral has 10 ringing bells in total, all hung in the South Tower, all cast in 1949 by the Otto bell foundry in Bremen-Hemelingen. The largest bell or

tenor 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 chimes the hours.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Personen & Kontakte: Der Bischof (People & Contacts: The Bishop)" (in German). dominformation.de.
  2. ^ "Das Domkapitel (The Cathedral Chapter)" (in German). dominformation.de.
  3. ^
    ISBN 90-74252-04-4
  4. ^ "Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  5. ^ "In the twelfth century many of the Meuse-valley churches were rebuilt [...] For these latter buildings the great churches of Rome, Jerusalem, Aachen and Trier, that had already been so important in the tenth and eleventh centuries, lost nothing of their importance." Den Hartog (1992), p. 56.
  6. ^ Den Hartog (1992), p. 89.

External links

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