Stetten Castle was built around 1200, probably on a predecessor site, although there is no architectural evidence of this. At that time, the Knights of Stetten were vassals of the Hohenlohe family during the time of the Staufer dynasty.
The castle was first expanded around the year 1400. To better protect the inner castle against the increasingly common firearms, a moat was dug in front of the outer bailey. At the same time, a curtain wall with semi-circular flanking towers was erected. In the mid-15th century, the corner towers of the curtain wall were added in another construction phase.
In 1488, the Lords of Stetten became involved in a heated dispute with the Lords of Hohenlohe. During the course of this feud, the Hohenlohe forces besieged Castle Stetten and captured the outer bailey. After tough negotiations and the involvement of various mediators, the disputants peacefully reached an agreement, which is why there was no major damage or destruction of the castle.
The last addition was the baroque 'Outer House' in the outer bailey in 1716, which resembles a palace; this is likely why the present place name came into use. The last major structural alteration took place in 1870. At that time, the inner moat was partially filled, and the gatehouse was modified to allow carriages to enter.
Today Stetten castle is used for senior-friendly living.
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.