Château de Dampierre was built in the 16th century to the site of medieval castle. In the 14th century, Hébert Thésard, a descendant of Raoul Theu-Zart, Rollon's companion, married Perette de Dampierre, the last heir of the eponymous fief. Their great-granddaughter, Marie, married Jean II de Longaunay, the lord of Damigny near Bayeux, for the second time, at the beginning of the 16th century. Their son, Hervé IV de Longaunay, settled in Dampierre and was one of the close associates of Marshal de Matignon. During the Wars of Religion, after renouncing Protestantism, Hervé joined the Catholic party. However, remaining loyal to the crown, he sided with Henry IV upon his accession to the throne. Hervé, while he was the king's lieutenant general, died in 1590 at the Battle of Ivry. Hervé rebuilt the castle, probably replacing a medieval construction, with the moats and tower bases preserved.
His son, Jean de Longaunay, military intendant of Saint-Lô, joined the League. In the second half of the 17th century, the fief was elevated to a marquisate.
During the Revolution, the main residence was destroyed, as were the outbuildings located to the south and north of the courtyard.
In the 19th century, the castle was owned by the Marquis de Briges, an old family from Lozère, who owned numerous properties in Lower Normandy. In 1891, upon the death of the last heiress, Marie-Barbe de Briges-Longaunay, the estate passed to her nephew, François Doynel de Sausserie, who from 1924 to 1927 dismembered it.
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.