San Donato dates from the 12th century and is in Romanesque style. It became a parish under archbishop Siro il Porcello, and was consecrated on May 1, 1189.
After the bombardment of 1684 it was restored several times, being again consecrated on December 4, 1892. Other restorations in 1946-1951 have kept its Romanesque appearance.
The interior contains a Madonna by the 14th-century painter Nicolò da Voltri; a St Joseph, by Domenico Piola; and a marble relief of the Baptism of Christ, started by Ignazio Peschiera and completed by his pupil Carlo Rubatto. There is also a tryptich (1515) by Joos van Cleve representing The Adoration of the Magi; the person who commissioned the work Stefano Raggi with Guardian Saint ; and a Mary Magdalen. This is topped by a Crucifixion scene with Mary and St John the Evangelist.
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.