Trèves – monuments romains, cathédrale Saint-Pierre et église Notre-Dame

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NHK World Heritage 100 Series (en anglais)

Texte narratif (en anglais)

The Emperor Caesar conquered Trier and the surrounding area in the 1st Century B.C. This castle gate is known as Porta Nigra, the black gate. Augustus Caesar at around 15 B.C. decided to make Trier a centre for ruling over the Rhine area. This gate has protected the city for over 2000 years. This cross shows that this is a market place. A column with a cross on top is a distinctly Roman symbol. The Romans introduced Mediterranean culture to the area and Wine is one of the things they left behind. Each ancient roman city has its amphitheatre. This one was built around 100 A.D. and served as a venue for gladiatorial combat and animal fights. There were seats for 20,000 spectators.

The Romans were excellent in civil engineering. This stone bridge was built around 150 A.D. and is still in use. There are traces of Roman culture in its decoration. Trier Cathedral in the city centre is Germany’s oldest. In 313 A.D., the then Roman Emperor Constantine the Great legitimized Christianity throughout the Roman Empire and later ordered the construction of a large cathedral in the town. Trier was to become a Christian spiritual centre along with Rome, Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The cathedral has been rebuilt and extended many times.

The Mosel River flows through the town. Mosel wine, originally introduced by the Romans, is produced on land along the river. The grapes that Romans brought have been mixed with local grapes many times. The main variety of grapes grown here is Riesling. One of the distinctive characteristic of the soil in the area is the presence of slate. The soil absorbs nutrients from weathered slate. They are believed to contribute to the quality of the white wine.

The city was once known as the Second Rome." The heritage of ancient Roman civilization lives on with the townspeople to this day.