Bergamo, Italy
11th century
Zadar, Croatia
9th century AD
Cremona, Italy
1167
Mantua, Italy
11th century
Brescia, Italy
11th century
Mosta, Malta
1833-1871
Rome, Italy
468-483
Muruzábal, Spain
12th century
Rome, Italy
4th century AD
Rijeka, Croatia
1638
Gudhjem, Denmark
ca. 1160
Faaborg, Denmark
12th century
Bowmore, United Kingdom
1767
Almenno San Bartolomeo, Italy
11th century
Öskü, Hungary
11th century
Stockholm, Sweden
12th century
Rønne, Denmark
12th century
Stockholm, Sweden
12th century
Allinge, Denmark
12th century
Aakirkeby, Denmark
ca. 1165
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.