Details
Founded: c. 1400Category: Religious sites in Germany
Historical period: Habsburg Dynasty (Germany)
Interesting Sites Nearby
User Reviews
St. George’s Church in Wiek was built in several phases from about 1400 onwards to the site of an early structure mentioned in 1318. Brick building on carefully hewn large boulders in the foundation and lower courses. Two choir bays and sacristy from the first building phase, with four cross-vaulted, three-aisle nave bays and narthex added a little later. At various places, late Medieval murals and crosses from about 1500 have been uncovered in the vault. The burial vault was added in 1787 and free-standing bell-cote around 1600. The complete restoration was made in 1826.
Oldest furnishing is the limestone font from 1250 (probably from the preceding building). Worth noting are also late-Medieval equestrian statue of a St. George sitting upright in the saddle with open visor and hair to his shoulders, dating from the early 15th century (a gift from a Pomeranian duchess on the consecration of the church), rood beam with crucifix of the triumphal cross ensemble dating from 1300 and figures of Mary (about 1500) and John from the second half of the 15th century (probably assembled in 1826).
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.