Germany 1983 /Trier an der Mosel (2): Kurfürstliches Palais, Kaiserthermen, Landesmuseum, Amphitheater, Cathedral - and a Flower Show.
Sunday, 28th August, 1983: My first full day in Trier was a very full day. Looking back in my photo album now I can't really grasp that after first having attended the church service in the Basilica (previous post), I afterwards also managed to see all of the sights below on the same day. (Somewhere in between, I suppose I must also have had lunch. No note in my album to remind me exactly where, when or what, though!)
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| Das Kurfürstliche Palais, with the Konstantin Basilika in the background |
Das Kurfürstliche Palais - in English, the Electoral Palace - is situated very close indeed to the Basilica. From the 16th century until the late 18th century, this palace was the residence of the Archbishops and Electors of Trier. (According to Wikipedia, nowadays most of the palace is used as governmental offices; but classical music concerts are sometimes also held there.) I can't recall going inside - I probably just snapped the photo in passing.
After the Basilica, I went to see the ruins of the Kaiserthermen - the remains of a large Roman bath complex. (Very close the Basilica and the Palace - you can see those buildings in the background in the first photo below.)
The construction was started around 300 C.E. and was meant to be one of the largest of its kind, with baths built around hot water pools, and underneath the complex a network of underground passageways and a sewer system. It was never completed, though, and during the Middle Ages, it was converted into a castle.
I also visited the Landesmuseum - an archaeological museum with a collection of objects from prehistory to the Baroque era, but with a strong emphasis on the Roman period.
And from there on to the Trier Amphitheater:
Trier and its amphitheatre resembled many Roman cities of its time, and many gladiatorial contests occurred there. It is the 10th largest Roman amphitheatre still intact. The structure which was dug into the side of a hill around the 2nd century A.D. could accommodate approximately 20,000 spectators. When later on gladiatoral contests were forbidden by the Christian emperor, the amphitheatre was incorporated into the city wall.
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| Trier Dom - Postcard |
Furthermore, I visited the Trier Dom (Cathedral) - the oldest cathedral in Germany and the largest religious structure in Trier. Below: One of my bought slides that turned all red over the years, showing the inside of the Dom.
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| Trier, Dom, Mittelschiff, von West nach Ost |
And as if all of the above wasn't enough for one day of touristing, in the afternoon I also managed to attend part of a local flower show that happened to be going on in Trier that weekend...
Except for the Dom, all the other photos in this post are my own (slides).
What an astonishingly rich day, moving from the grandeur of Electoral Palace, Trier to the haunting remains of the Kaiserthermen and the historic Trier Amphitheatre, all layered with centuries of Roman and medieval life.
ReplyDeleteRo, it was certainly a day when I felt immersed in old Roman remains!
DeleteGood grief you got so much done. As only the young can. Is the Trier Dom still in use on Sundays? Why did they not finish the bath? The amphitheater is so huge; amazing! You have seen more amazing things than most people do in a lifetime.
ReplyDeleteGinny, AI informs me that the Trier Dom "is still very much in use. It is the oldest church in Germany and remains a functioning Catholic cathedral".
DeleteAs for why the Kaiserthermen weren't completed, I suppose the short answer would be that politicians back then were as fickle as they are now...
There was at least one other Roman bath complex in Trier which was in use back around then - I visited the ruins of that one another day.
You were young, and the sights weren't too far apart - you must have done quite a bit of walking! I remember days out in London when we went from one point of interest to the other, to the point where we just couldn't take in anything anymore. Nowadays, while still walking loads, we pace our visits to match our age :-)
ReplyDeleteLove the Blumenkorso der Kinder, and the ticket showing 3 DM is so nostalgic.
I didn't know the Roman baths were never completed! Isn't that unusual for any Roman endeavour? And I wonder how the amphitheatre was used after the Gladiators' contests were banned.
DeleteMeike, yes, I think the sights I saw that day were all "within walking distance" - but even so, as you also say, it must have added up to quite a bit of walking. ;)
DeleteI asked AI now why the Kaiserthermen were never completed, and got the answer that it was primarily because Emperor Constantine the Great left the city for Constantinople in 316 A.D., leading to a shift in imperial politics and a halt in construction. (Although building resumed later, the complex was repurposed as military barracks rather than a public spa.)
I also asked AI about the amphitheatre and promptly got this reply: "After gladiatorial contests and wild animal hunts were banned—a process that began in the 4th century—the amphitheater in Trier transitioned from a place of violent entertainment to several other, more utilitarian functions. Its role shifted from a city entertainment hub to a safe haven, a stone supplier, and eventually a agricultural site."
Out of the sights I saw that day back in 1983, I think it was the amphitheater that impressed me the most, by the way... Getting the size of it in real life!
PS. I'm also wondering right now why I didn't ask AI straight away yesterday, instead of trying to sift information myself from various Wikipedia articles... ;)
DeleteI meant to add that I love the Roman vases etc. you have photopraphed in the muesum. Their shapes are so pleasing.
Deletewow intriguing history, good you still have the photos, wish we had historical places like this in NZ.
ReplyDeleteAmy, now there's something to speculate about: What would the world have looked like if the Roman empire had stretched all the way to New Zealand...
DeleteYou saw such a lot in one day - the energy of youth, no doubt. The amphitheatre is astonishing. Accommodating 20,000 seems inconceivable.
ReplyDeleteJanice, I'm glad I managed to get that photo from above as that does give an idea of the scope of it.
DeleteI would love to wander the ruins and the amphitheater. You really covered a lot of places for one day... that is one huge amphitheater.
ReplyDeleteSandra, I'm glad to have the photos to confirm it really was as huge as I remember it...
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