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joseantonio | all galleries >> Galleries >> GERMANY 2017 > Trier. Porta Nigra
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26-SEP-2017

Trier. Porta Nigra

Porta Nigra is the best place to begin a tour of Trier. The gate dates back to a time (about A.D. 180) when the Romans often erected public buildings of huge stone blocks (here, the biggest weigh up to six metric tons).The slabs were cut by bronze saws powered by mill wheels (some cutting traces are still visible) and put together without mortar. Instead, two stones each were held together horizontally by iron clamps whose bent ends were embedded in corresponding holes by molten lead. One clamp is visible inside the gate near the eastern spiral staircase; rust traces can be seen in many holes on the outside because in the Middle Ages people chiseled these holes to retrieve the metal for recycling.The stone blocks were spared a recycling because of the Greek monk Simeon, who had himself walled up in the eastern tower as a hermit after 1028. After his death in 1034/5, he was buried inside the gate and made a saint. In his honor, two churches were built into the gate (torn down 1804-1819). The upper story of the eastern tower was razed - the only real damage to the stone gate, whose name, »Black Gate,« is medieval and goes back to the black pollution patina on the gray sandstone.

Canon EOS 70D
1/400s f/7.1 at 17.0mm iso200 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Julie Oldfield10-Nov-2017 16:16
Awesome! V
Fabienne09-Nov-2017 20:17
Superbe bâtiment et belle image.
Graeme08-Nov-2017 14:47
A very well captured building, Jose.V
Ton T.07-Nov-2017 18:31
Most impressive structure! V
Tom LeRoy07-Nov-2017 13:56
Great side view of this old old gate, Jose! V
Irene Wehrli06-Nov-2017 17:33
Wow - this gate looks so beautiful! And so wonderfully surrounded by palm trees and lovely flowers.
I must say it looks more like somewhere in Spain...
Irene
Gill Kopy06-Nov-2017 02:02
Wow - the details and history re the construction of this gate are amazing. Thanks to Simeon we can enjoy your shot :) V
Jean D05-Nov-2017 19:40
Terrific gate dating back to very early times. The Romans were very creative in erecting these buildings Thanks for the well described caption info. ~V
John05-Nov-2017 17:59
It zure is beautiful José. Indeed a great starting point for a tour.
bill friedlander05-Nov-2017 17:55
Super capture of the gate, light and details are excellent. V
Jim Coffman05-Nov-2017 17:26
That is really fantastic! WOW!
Helen Betts05-Nov-2017 17:16
What a monumental gate, well shot from this perspective. V.
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