St. Matthias' Abbey, Benedictine abbey in Trier, Germany

St. Matthias' Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Trier whose Romanesque basilica was dedicated on 13 January 1148. Its pale cream stone facade has orange-pink vertical bands, three projecting grey portals with carved figure groups, a round window, and an upper tower with two tiers of arcaded windows and a gold-faced clock crowned by small stone figures and a cross. The crypt holds the tombs of Bishops Eucharius and Valerius.

Cyrillus of Trier built an oratory here in the second half of the 5th century and gave the monks a rule. The community adopted the Rule of Saint Benedict around 977. In 1127 bones identified as those of the Apostle Matthias were found during demolition of the predecessor church, and the new abbey church was dedicated on 13 January 1148 by Pope Eugene III. The abbey joined the Bursfelde Congregation in 1458 and was secularised in 1802.

The abbey is named after the Apostle Matthias, whose relics were found in 1127 during demolition of the earlier church; the bones of Bishops Eucharius and Valerius, founders of the Trier archbishopric, have been kept here since the 10th century. Pilgrims come to venerate the apostle's tomb, the only one in Germany and north of the Alps, and the church has held the title of minor basilica since 1920. The community also runs the parish, hospital and pilgrimage pastoral care, and receives guests.

The abbey church stands southwest of Trier's centre, near the Moselle, and can be reached on foot or by bus. The crypt lies beneath the choir; its eastern part was added around 1500. The community receives guests and holds ecumenical discussions, so allow time for the church and the adjoining monastery buildings rather than the basilica alone.

The abbey holds the only apostle's tomb in Germany and north of the Alps. The relics of Matthias were found in 1127 during demolition of the predecessor church, though tradition holds that Empress Helena had them brought from Palestine. The tomb made St. Matthias a major pilgrimage centre from the 12th century.