The street of the Knights (Odós Ippotón) is one of the highlights of the Medieval Town of Rhodes. It is a fascinating and obligatory visit for all guided tours, one of the most admired attractions in the Old Town.
Following an almost exact east to west direction, the well preserved cobble paved street uses, in part, an ancient straight road that connected the port with the Acropolis of Rhodos. The medieval road is about 600m long. Starts from the square in front of the Knights’ Hospital, the seat of Archeological Museum and leads to the Grand Master’s Palace.
Along the street seven imposing inns where constructed in the early 16th century, representing the seven countries, or tongues, that the Knights of the Order of St John were originated from. Each facade is decorated with emblems and details that reflect the respective country. With no doubt, the finest of them is the Auberge de France that was built between 1492 and 1503. Most of the Grand Masters were French so their influence on the architecture was considerable. Stonemasons and craftsmen were for the most part Greek but workers from France and Spain were also brought here.
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.