Oviedo, Spain
790s AD
Oviedo, Spain
781 AD
Oviedo, Spain
9th century AD
Oviedo, Spain
761 AD
Oviedo, Spain
848 AD
Oviedo, Spain
9th century AD
Oviedo, Spain
c. 830 AD
Villaviciosa, Spain
893 AD
Oviedo, Spain
842 AD
Cangas de Onís, Spain
737 AD
Lena, Spain
852 AD
Bendones, Spain
792-842 AD
Les Regueres, Spain
9th century AD
Villaviciosa, Spain
921 AD
Pravia, Spain
774-783 AD
Tuñón, Spain
891 AD
Colunga, Spain
9th century AD
The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.
The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.
The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.