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Founded: 1550Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Finland
Historical period: Reformation (Finland)
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The first record of Suitia (Svidja) is from the year 1420. First known owner was Björn Ragvaldsson, the judge in the Raasepori. After him Fleming family started to use Suitia as their secondary residence. The third owner, Erik Fleming was a remarkable Councilor of State of Sweden. He fought succesfully against Danish army and drove them away from Finland in 1523. After the war Erik Fleming lived in Suitia and extended lands and improved the manor. The present grey stone manor was completed by him about 1550.
Flemings lived in Suitia near 250 years. Their era ended up in 1730, when the Russians had demolished Suitia badly in the Great Northern War. Since it has been owned by several families. It was restored to the late medieval outfit in the beginning of the 20th century by August Wrede af Elimä.
Only battle in Suitia was fought in 1918, when the unit of white army defended it against red guards. The government of Finland reclaimed Suitia in 1934. Nowadays it’s rent to Helsinki University.
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.