Like yesterday I was in Agusta Treverorum to give it's Roman name which they called it after the Celtic tribe that lived there, but I will start a new thread about it
Ah, so you'll be going to the beautiful city of Trier!
Thanks to playing so much of Total War Rome II, I've come to learn which modern day cities/towns arose from the original Roman settlements. Who knew that modern day Cologne/Koln used to be Colonnia Agrippina?
Well PM we didn't get round much of the town, this was my second visit, the last time it was evening and we went there after going drag racing at Bitburg. The Porta Nigra has changed since we were last there - it was in daylight this time and you had to pay to get in where as it was just open the last time.
From 2005:
Bitburg:
Trier
The cathedral which is built on an existing Roman building
Fountain in the square (with our youngest hanging off the railings)
It was too dark really for my little pocket camera, this is the only pic that came out of the Porta Nigra
2018:
Porta Nigra This was the north gate on the 6.8km long town wall and the only gate still standing, it survived because it was converted into a church which was then destroyed by Napoleon and that left the gate to survive in to today. It was originally built in AD160- AD200 that was how long it took to build the wall and the 4 gates around the town of Agusta Treverorum.
It is called the Black Gate because of the bacteria/fungi that live on the stone which eats the alcohol fumes from the wineries around the city, we get the same effect from the whisky distilleries in Scotland where the fumes are called "The angel's share" The gate has been black since ancient times and is not a product of motor vehicles.
Layout of the town in roman times, the Porta Nigra is the one furthest away.
Looking towards the town square, present day
Artist's impression of how it looked in Roman times looking along the same street as above