Karl (Charles) XI is perhaps the Swedish king that most enjoyed spending time in Kungsör and he had this church built for the Royal Manor. It took from 1690 to 1700 to build the church but unfortunately the king never saw it when it was finished. He died in 1697 when a lot of work remained to be done on the interior. To mark the bicentennial of his death, a large gilded copper crown was mounted on the church dome in 1897.
The church was designed by Nicodemus Tessin, the Younger, and the altarpiece and silver collection were designed by Burchardt and David Klöcker Ehrenstral. The church was opened in the year 1700 and is an original Baroque church characterized by a number of King Karl XI’s personal touches. The pulpit is from the Tre Kronor palace chapel.
For guided tours of the church, please contact the parish registrar’s office.
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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.