Description of the attraction
Construction of the Cathedral of St. Peter in Trier - the oldest temple in Germany and one of the best examples of the Romanesque style - began in 326 by order of the first Christian emperor Constantine. The building was based on a part of the palace of his mother, the holy queen Helena, which she handed over to the bishop of Trier, Maximin.
In 882, the building was almost completely destroyed by the Norman tribes, but by 1196 it was restored in the same style. In the 18th century, the episcopate decided to add baroque elements to the strict interior decoration. An altar decorated with fine carvings and a relief altar barrier were created. Like other buildings in the center of Trier, the Cathedral of St. Petra was seriously damaged by the bombing of the Second World War. After the restoration carried out in the 60s-70s on May 1, 1974, the altar of the cathedral was solemnly consecrated again.
One of the main shrines of the Christian world - the tunic of Jesus Christ, received by lot by one of the guards before the crucifixion - is kept in the cathedral's relicarium. The first public worship of the shrine took place in 1512 (until that time, the relic was carefully hidden in the cathedral from fires, wars and plunder) and since then has been exhibited for pilgrims access 16 times. The cathedral also contains the ark with the head of St. Helena, several links of the chain with which the Apostle Peter was forged, the nail and sandal of St. Andrew the First-Called.
In 1986, the Trier Cathedral of St. Petra is included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.
