Gillstad Church, Gillstad, Sweden

Photo from Flickr, copyright Zvonimir Hrvoj

Historic Site of the week

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.

Ingela Ivarsson (3 years ago)
Gillstad's church in Lidköping municipality. The church is close to national road 44. Today there is only a small parking lot right next to the church. The church has a beautiful red wooden bell tower.

Elisabeth Carlsson (5 years ago)

Helen Tauberman (6 years ago)
Beautifully

Gillstad Church

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Historic Site of the week

Church of St Donatus