Château de Mélac is a rare fortified wealthy house of the southern Rouergue was built between the 14th and the 16th centuries. The castle has four main buildings which are interconnected by towers (Renaissance tower) and form an amazing inner courtyard with arcades.
The castle forms a very contrasted ensemble because of its different architectural styles: exceptional interior courtyard with arcades supporting the galleries on two levels, 15th century watchtower with its original bombards, Renaissance round tower and its cupola storeys, vaulted guards room with rib tufa stone dating from the 14th century, large rougier sandstone fireplace, epic narrative about Dieudonné de Gozon, Grand Master of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem.
During the summer season, enjoy Les Musicales de Mélac festival which is held in the castle inner courtyard.
References: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.