TRIER CIVITAS

Trier has been selected by Roberto Amati in relation to the real history of european integration, then enlisted in the CITY OR CIVITAS category, accompanied by own fact SHEET useful to the comprehension, completed of historical MAPS AND IMAGES or with a direct linking to the related Blog contents dedicated to the entire history of european integration and the future of Europe.

Trier is one of the most ancient cities of the history of European integration, signed in great part by Christianity. The Civitas Trier was founded in 16 B.C. by Romans on a strategic point at the Rhin river on the northern Limes of the Roman Empire and called Augusta Treverorum in honour to Augustus and the local Germans Treveri tribe: originally a Colonia of inhabitants and Romans veterans of the Legios there stationed, Trier was part of the Roman Res Public and became the capital of Gallia Belgica province and one of the most important trade and stategic civitas of the empire throught the Flavia Way starting in Xanten and passing through the civitas of Cologne, Metz, Chalon-sur-Saône, Lyon, Vienne and Arles.

With the reform of Constantine I (see Christian Empire), Trier became capital of the imperial Gallia Diocesi and was the starting point of the emperor militar escalation to the power. Afterthat, Trier had imperial governors resident in the city and was elevated to bishopric seat already in 250 A.D. cause it was capital one of the most popultaed civitas and capital of the Western Empire, when the "Porta Nigra" was built to control the surrounding against the Barbarians invasions ended in 459 A.D. when the city was occupied by the Ripuarian Franks tribe.

Within the Franks empire, Tréves was included in the Austrasia regna and recovered to Christianity in the VIII century A.D. by the Irish monks who built there a big monastir, where they held the relics of Saint Matthias and started the evangelization of Saxons and Frisons: for that reason, with the renovatio imperii of Charlemagne Trier became one of the biggest and wide Christian archibishopric, attribuited of temporal powers and included in the Imperial Diet for centuries. After the 843 A.D. Treaty of Verdun division, Trier fell into the dominion of the Reich Empire ruled by Caroligians until 911 A.D. when it passed to germans dinasties and the emperor Otto I assigned the Archibishops of Trier noteworthy with the prerogatives of secular princes power endured until XX century A.D.!

Trier was granted the status of "Free Imperial City" when the Electorate of Trier was moved near Koblenz and became independent from the Prince-Bishop of Trier: then the city became an important centre of medieval pilgrimage and famous for a massive witch persecutions and trials in XVI century A.D.. After that, the city had been conquered many times by the France kingdom during the wars epoch, cause of its position at the intersection of the major trade routes along Europe connecting the markets to the principal northern ports of the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the Mediterranean Sea naval routes thought the Venice port: that evolution brought Trier to become a member of the Hanseatic League and a medieval and early modern major harbour and transport hub on the Rhin. Trier was always on the Catholic side during the Protest crisis and the French Revolution and had its priviliges confirmed with the Augusta Peace treaty and continued growing up all along the modern era.

When the Holy Roman Empire (Reich) was dissolved in 1806 A.D. by Napoleon I, the German states were reunited into the Rhin Confederation and Trier was annexed to France, but with the Wien Peace treaty passed to the Kingdom of Prussia following its destiny and the Germany history until today. Trier became a rich city in modern age, remained a principle catholic centre and the seat of an important University founded in 1473 A.D. and acquired by the Jesuits who emphasized the philosophical and theological faculties.

Nowadays, "Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier" are enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage and Trier is a medium size city in the west of Germany, part of the Rhineland Palatinate lander, whose patron is Saint Wendelin a pilgrim hermit and abbot settled in Trier.

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