Church of St. Donatus
Encyclopedia
The Church of St. Donatus is a church located in Zadar
, Croatia
. Its 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
. Originally named (and dedicated to) the church of the Holy Trinity, in the 15th century it was renamed the Church of St. Donatus.
Church of St. Donatus is the largest Pre-romanesque building in Croatia. It is also one of the most impressive churches of centralised type of the Carolingian
period in Europe.
and Charles the Great, which is why this church is similar to charles' court chapels, especially the one in Aachen
, and also to St. Vitale's Church
in Ravenna
. It belongs to the pre-Romanesque architectural period being an original variation of the architectural form used in the Byzantine buildings in the 9 century.
The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and it's characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism. It has three radially situated apse
s and an ambulatory
around the central area, surmounted by circular gallery. The circular shape is typical of the early Byzantine
age in Dalmatia
. It was built on the Roman forum and materials from buildings used in its construction. Among the fragments which are built into the foundations it is still possible to distinsh the remains of a sacrificial altar on which is written IVNONI AVGUSTE IIOVI AVGUSTO.
Its use has varied during its lifetime; during the rule of the Venetians
and Turks it was a warehouse, and also during the French occupation and when under the Austrians. After the liberation it was an archeological museum for a short period of time and it now serves as the concert venue for the annual International Festival of Medieval Renaissance Music, also known as Musical Evenings in St. Donatus
because of its stark interior has excellent acoustics and of its excellent acoustics.
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. Its 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
Roman Forum
The Roman Forum is a rectangular forum surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum...
. Originally named (and dedicated to) the church of the Holy Trinity, in the 15th century it was renamed the Church of St. Donatus.
Church of St. Donatus is the largest Pre-romanesque building in Croatia. It is also one of the most impressive churches of centralised type of the Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
period in Europe.
History
The beginning of the building of the Church of St. Donatus was placed to the second half of 8th century, and it is supposed to be completed in 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8-9 centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to ByzantiumByzantium
Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas . The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
and Charles the Great, which is why this church is similar to charles' court chapels, especially the one in Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
, and also to St. Vitale's Church
Basilica of San Vitale
The Church of San Vitale — styled an "ecclesiastical basilica" in the Roman Catholic Church, though it is not of architectural basilica form — is a church in Ravenna, Italy, one of the most important examples of early Christian Byzantine Art and architecture in western Europe...
in Ravenna
Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
. It belongs to the pre-Romanesque architectural period being an original variation of the architectural form used in the Byzantine buildings in the 9 century.
The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and it's characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism. It has three radially situated apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
s and an ambulatory
Ambulatory
The ambulatory is the covered passage around a cloister. The term is sometimes applied to the procession way around the east end of a cathedral or large church and behind the high altar....
around the central area, surmounted by circular gallery. The circular shape is typical of the early Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
age in Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
. It was built on the Roman forum and materials from buildings used in its construction. Among the fragments which are built into the foundations it is still possible to distinsh the remains of a sacrificial altar on which is written IVNONI AVGUSTE IIOVI AVGUSTO.
Its use has varied during its lifetime; during the rule of the Venetians
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
and Turks it was a warehouse, and also during the French occupation and when under the Austrians. After the liberation it was an archeological museum for a short period of time and it now serves as the concert venue for the annual International Festival of Medieval Renaissance Music, also known as Musical Evenings in St. Donatus
Musical Evenings in St. Donatus
Musical evenings in St. Donatus in Zadar, Croatia is an international music festival, it has been held since 1960 at St. Donatus Church and at other historical locations of the city of Zadar. Performing are renowned musicians from Croatia and abroad....
because of its stark interior has excellent acoustics and of its excellent acoustics.
See also
- ZadarZadarZadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
- Architecture of CroatiaArchitecture of CroatiaThe architecture of Croatia has roots in a long history: the Croats have inhabited the area for thirteen centuries, but there are important remnants of the earlier periods still preserved in the country.- Ancient heritage :...
- Church of Holy Salvation
- Church of Holy Cross in Nin
- Pre-Romanesque art and architecture
Sources
- Jadranka Damjanov, Likovna umjetnost 1, Školska knjiga, ZagrebZagrebZagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, 1971. ISBN 953-0-20109-5 - Radovan Ivančević, Treso r Artistique de la Croatie, Jugoslovenska revija, MotovunMotovunMotovun is a village in central Istria, Croatia. The population of the village itself is 531, with a total of 983 residents in the municipality ; 442 of the residents have Italian as their mother language...
, 1986. - Antun Karaman, Opća povijest umjetnosti, Školska knjiga, Zagreb, 2004. ISBN 953-0-21319-0