Church of Sv. Donat
.jpg)
The Roman Catholic Church of St. Donat in the historic center of Zadar ( Croatia ) next to the Cathedral of Sv. Stošija originated at the beginning of the 9th century . The two-storey round church of St. Donatus is considered the best preserved Croatian architectural monument from early Christian times. It is a symbol of the city of Zadar.
The church was built as the house chapel of Bishop Donatus and was built on the foundations of the Roman forum . Donatus played an important role in the period 801 to 814 and attended the two leading European courts, the Carolingian and the Byzantine . In terms of building typology, this rotunda of Byzantine architecture is related to both the Carolingian palatine chapels, for example in Aachen, and the Byzantine architecture of Ravenna . The pre-Romanesque church was mentioned for the first time in the mid- 9th century in the writings of the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogennetus . The external appearance is characterized by the three vestibules structured by glare arches . The interior of the church with a height of 26 m is surrounded by a wide walkway on the ground floor and a gallery on the upper floor. Ancient stone fragments and Roman column drums are integrated into the masonry. Once there was an altar in the central apse. Immediately next to the Donatskirche is the one from the 12th / 13th centuries. St. Anastasia (Croatian Sv. Stošija ) Cathedral from the 16th century, built in the Romanesque style and completed in the 14th century. The Donatuskirche was affected in the Second World War ( Balkan campaign ). Only the foundation walls of the cathedral's baptistery, which was destroyed at the time, were reconstructed.
Today, its indoor and outdoor space on the edge of the Roman Forum is used for various cultural events, especially in summer during the tourist season. Because of the very good acoustics, classical music evenings are held almost every day in Sveti Donat.
Web links
Coordinates: 44 ° 6 ′ 57 ″ N , 15 ° 13 ′ 28.1 ″ E