If you have visited Zadar, then you have certainly seen, and perhaps visited the church of St. Donatus. But do you know anything about that church? Could he tell someone a story or interesting information and inspire him/her to come to Zadar and see the most famous symbol of the city? Read this text and find out everything you need to know about the Church of St. Donatus. Afterwards you can recommend the text to someone to read. Spread positive, good news and visit the ancient Mediterranean city of Zadar with your family or friends.
The Church of St. Donatus in Zadar is located in the central part of the historic center of the city, on the ruins of an ancient forum. Initially, it was dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and from the 15th century it is named after Bishop Donatus. According to the legend, he most likely had it built at the beginning of the 9th century. It was first mentioned around 950 in the work “On the Administration of the State” by the Byzantine emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus. The church is circular in shape with a double ring. It stands out for its originality and unique shape.
The church has not been preserved in its original form, as it lacks the southern annex, which was demolished in 1930. It is an integral part of the episcopal complex and is connected to the early Christian cathedral and the bishop’s palace. The foundations of the church are bare, so you can see the built-in ancient material – fragments of ancient pillars, stone beams, capitals and other various architectural elements. Of the many fragments built into its foundations, important are the remains of an altar or base for a statue of a deity on which an inscription is dedicated to the goddess Juno and the supreme god Jupiter. The entrance portal is also composed of ancient stone beams (architraves) as well as the one at the entrance to the gallery. The original floor has been removed, so the panels of the ancient forum are now visible. It served as a building of worship until 1798.
And who was Saint Donatus? In Latin, Donatus means “given by God”, and was born in the 8th century while the local tradition believes that he comes from a prominent Zadar family. Bishop Donatus was mentioned in 804 during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus I in Constantinople, who negotiated the demarcation between the Franks and Byzantium on behalf of Charlemagne. It is believed that thanks to these meetings with the rulers of the West and East in 812, the Peace of Aachen was concluded, which gave the Franks Istria and Croatia, and Byzantium the Dalmatian cities and Venice. Bishop Donatus contributed to the great autonomy of Zadar and other Dalmatian cities (Kotor, Dubrovnik, Split, Trogir, Rab, Krk and Osor).
In Constantinople, Bishop Donatus received the powers of St. Anastasia as a gift. He transferred them and stored them in the church, which was then called the St. Peter’s Cathedral in Zadar. Later, the Cathedral of Zadar was dedicated to St. Anastasia, or as the people of Zadar call it, St. Stošija. It is mentioned that St. Donatus also received the relics of the holy martyr Chrysogonus as a gift in Byzantium. Bishop Donatus is certainly responsible for the fact that St. Anastasia is worshiped in Zadar, and this is recorded on the inscriptions on the stone beams and the marble reliquary from the chapel of St. Anastasia.
Saint Donatus died around the year 811, and was buried in the magnificent church of the Holy Trinity (today’s church of St. Donatus). His remains were placed under the main altar of the church in 1622 during the time of the Zadar archbishop Stella. The church was desacralized at the end of the 18th century and separated from the episcopal complex, and after the French invasion of Zadar in 1809, the remains of St. Donatus were transferred to the Cathedral of St. Anastasia, where they still are today.
Saint Donatus is one of the most famous saints in Zadar. Apart from him, people are most familiar with Zadar’s patron saints. You can read the text about them on our previous blog here. Also, if you would like to walk through Zadar with the expert guidance of our licensed guide, hear interesting stories and untold secrets, see the offer here.
The Church of St. Donatus has extraordinary acoustic characteristics. Inside the church, musical events under the name Musical Evenings in St. Donatus are held. It is Zadar’s most prestigious art event, which has been held since 1960, and which was created by the encouragement of Zadar’s people. Musical evenings in St. Donatus pay special attention to the music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance and early Baroque. You can read more about these events here.
If you are interested in the graphic representation of Zadar, dare to take a Virtual Walk through Zadar where, with the help of virtual reality, you will be able to see what was built on the site of today’s church of St. Donatus and what those buildings look like incorporated into the current state. Step into history with us and enjoy digital displays of history in front of historic buildings.
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