Arguijuelas de Abajo Castle was originally a fortitied mansion, which was built from the middle of the 15th to the 16th centuries by order of Don Francisco de Ovando “el Viejo” ('the Elder') together with the castle of Arguijuelas de Arriba. The walls and exterior watchtowers were added later, during the 19th century. Within the complex you will find a walled garden, terraces, a pond, an olive grove, a chapel and outhouses for livestock.
The current owner has converted the building for public use. The visitor will enjoy the impressive gardens and the charm of the place.
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.