Roman Gate Porta Nigra

This structure was built around 180 AD as the northern access to the Roman city of Augusta Treverorum, today's Trier. The name Porta Nigra, Latin for “Black Gate,” originated in the Middle Ages and refers to the dark discoloration of the Cordel sandstone due to weathering. In the 12th century, the gate was also known as Porta Martis, the “Gate of Mars.” In the Middle Ages, the Byzantine monk Simeon used the building as a hermitage. After his death in 1035, he was buried there, and Archbishop Poppo arranged for his canonization.