Constantine Basilica (Aula Palatina)
Constantine Basilica (Aula Palatina) features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Trier. Give it roughly ~30 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Trier Trier guide
About Constantine Basilica (Aula Palatina)
Constantine's vast Roman throne hall, one great uninterrupted brick room built around 300 AD, now a Protestant church rebuilt after wartime damage and left with plain, honest brick walls.
The Aula Palatina, also called the Konstantinbasilika, is a Roman palace basilica that served as the throne hall of the emperor. Built around AD 300 to 310 during the reigns of Constantius Chlorus and Constantine the Great, it measures about 67 metres long, 26 wide and 33 high. The hall is constructed of solid brick and was originally warmed by a hypocaust in floor and walls. It formed part of a larger Roman palace complex and is often described as the largest surviving single-room structure from classical antiquity.
In the Middle Ages it became the residence of the prince-electors of Trier, and since 1856 it has served as a Protestant church. An Allied air raid in 1944 caused severe damage, and the reconstruction left the interior as plain brick without its earlier decoration. The rococo Electoral Palace was built directly onto the basilica, and the hall is part of the Roman monuments in Trier's UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1986.
Did you know? One unbroken room about 67 metres long and 33 high, the hall is often called the largest surviving single-room structure from classical antiquity, though such superlatives shift depending on which source you ask.
How long is a visit to Constantine Basilica (Aula Palatina)?
Set aside roughly ~30 min for Constantine Basilica (Aula Palatina). That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Constantine Basilica (Aula Palatina) worth your time?
Constantine Basilica (Aula Palatina) is among the 13 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Trier, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Trier
Day 1 of the Trier in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Constantine Basilica (Aula Palatina)
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