PORTA NIGRA

Dating back to 170 AD, this monumental Roman gateway marked one of the entrances to Augusta Treverorum, capital of the Trevires. It is the symbol of the city and is still in a good state of preservation, having survived for more than two millennia. It is fascinating, marking a page in the history of the Roman world. It had a military function and was built using iron spurs, without the use of mortar. It is the most important dated monument to the Roman era on German soil, and a rather unique example of a monumental gate still standing today. Its name derives from the black patina deposited on its façade over the centuries, attested as early as the Middle Ages.

In 1028, the Greek monk Simeon had his hermitage walled up in the western part of the building. After his death in 1034, he was beatified. A two-storey church was then built, and the Porta Nigra became a place of Christian worship. The apse of this church is still visible on the eastern side of the monument.

Napoleon Bonaparte himself ordered the destruction of this place of worship in 1804 during a visit to the Rhineland. He insisted on restoring the monument to its original appearance. The inner courtyard was refurbished and the floor restored to its original level. The surrounding monuments were destroyed. The apse of the church and a tower escaped the planing, so the original visual appearance of the Porta Nigra is not quite the same as it was in the days of the Roman emperors.