Saint-Pierre aux Nonnains

one room, renovated, not furnished. The basilica dates back to the 7th and 8th centuries. The decorations of the choir screen, part pagan, part Christian, are an illustrative example of acculturation. They attest to the persistence of signs of Roman culture during the Barbaric Civilisation, a time in which the building was given a new designation. The study of the building`s exact development between the late 4th and the 6th century is particularly difficult due to problems of dating (the history of Metz and its surrounding regions at the time is exceedingly non-transparent). It is, however, possible to trace the relationships between religion and royalty. The Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains finds mention in connection with official acts in the context of the Carolingian Reform. The building exemplifies the manifold back-to-back changes of aesthetic (Ottonian and Gothic architecture) and historic nature (the abbey was part of a military stronghold when the religious city of Metz, defending the Kingdom of France, had to hold out against the troops of Charlesl V).