Vieste Castle, Vieste, Italy

For its strategic position, Vieste was always one of the greatest landmarks of defense of the Gargano and preserved until 1846 the title of Piazza d'Armi. All the rulers of the Kingdom of southern Italy, Normans to the Bourbons have always held in the highest regard this advanced place of the Adriatic Sea.

The castle, that dominates with its imposing the medieval district is traced back to the second half of the 11th century, when the count of Vieste was the Norman Robert Drengot. Distinguishes itself from the buildings and the surrounding landscape for its brown color, and stands overlooking the calcareous rocks overlooking the sea. It is a triangular, accompanied the corners (North. East and West) of three bastions at the tip of the lance, which incorporate the most ancient with a circular base. To the south instead, on the limit of the high cliff of the coast, stood the factory with the chapel, a series of houses and a small sixteenth-century bastion. During the struggles between the Papacy and Federico II (1240), suffered with the city, by the Venetians, considerable damage. It is currently used by the Italian Navy.

References:

e-borghi.com

Church of St Donatus

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.

Paolo Saccone (5 years ago)
Fantastic, amazing view and typical mediaeval town!

Paolo Saccone (5 years ago)
Nice places for walking from the seaside to the top of the village Hill to get an amazing view

Christian Benvenuti (6 years ago)
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Tony Winstanley (6 years ago)
No facility for deaf visitors in the way of scripts if one cannot understand the guide. Not helpful so we have it a miss.

Vieste Castle

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Church of St Donatus