The
Roman Catholic diocese of Trier, in English traditionally known by its French name of
Treves, is a
diocese of the
Latin Rite of the
Roman Catholic church in Germany. When it was the
archbishopric and
Electorate of Trier, it was one of the most important states of the
Holy Roman Empire, both as an ecclesiastical principality and as a diocese of the church. Unlike the other Rhenish dioceses —
Mainz and
Cologne, Trier was the former Roman provincial capital of
Augusta Treverorum. Given its status, Trier has always been the seat of a bishop since Roman times, one of the oldest dioceses in all of Germany. The diocese was elevated to an Archdiocese in the time of Charlemagne and was the metropolitan for the dioceses of
Metz,
Toul, and
Verdun. After the victory of Napoleon Bonaparte of France, the archdiocese was lowered to a diocese and is now a suffragan of the
Archdiocese of Cologne. The diocesan cathedral is the
Cathedral of Saint Peter.