Originally the wooden church of Anttola was built in Juva in 1729. After the new stone church was completed in 1863, the parish of Juva donated their old church to Anttola. It was disassembled and brought to Anttola along lakes between 1869-1870.
The church was situated to the donated site and inaugurated again in 1871. The pulpit and crucifix, made in 1660s, were transferred together with church. The present outfit is mainly from the end of 19th century. The next big renovation was designed by Alvar Aalto in 1926.
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.