The Aula Palatina, also called Basilica of Constantine, at Trier, Germany, is a Roman palace basilica and an early Christian structure built between AD 300 and AD 310 during the reigns of Constantius Chlorus and Constantine the Great.
Although the Aula Palatina generally follows the standard architectural plan of earlier basilicas, with a lack of columns in the interior and an open, box-like shape, it is unique in its addition of a transverse vestibule reminiscent of a narthex. The basilica was made of solid brick, with black-and-white marble floors, and was equipped with a floor and wall-heating system. (hypocaust). The basilica was originally part of a palace complex and was not a free-standing building, but had other smaller buildings (such as a forehall, a vestibule and some service buildings) attached to it. The outer courtyard and railings on the first and second stories of the basilica no longer exist, but overall it is remarkably well preserved.
