Details
Founded: 13th centuryCategory: Castles and fortifications in Germany
Historical period: Hohenstaufen Dynasty (Germany)
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The oldest parts of Neidenstein castle date back to the 13th century. It was first mentioned in 1319 as a fiefdom of Friedrich von Venningen. 1385 the castle was still an imperial fief of the lords of Venningen whose line Venningen-Neidenstein resided at the castle. Siegfried von Venningen († 1393) and Jobst of Venningen († 1410) were Grand Masters of the Teutonic Order, Hans von Venningen († 1478) was Bishop of Basel and Siegfried III of Venningen († 1459) was bishop of Speyer. The Venningen Neidenstein family line died out in 1611.
The castle was expanded with the outer bailey in the 16th century. The murals in the castle dates from 1516. The outer gate tower dates from 1569. In the end of the 18th century the castle started to decline. In the 1890s the roof of the western part collapsed which has since it been only a ruin. In 1897-1903 much of the castle complex was restored but also the top floor of the fortified tower was removed. Starting in 1960, the restoration of the castle was continued.
Neidenstein castle is today privately owned by the family of Venningen and can be visited only occasionally.
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.