Built around 820!

The Church of St. Donatus in Zadar was built on the ruins of an ancient forum and was completed around the year 820. The ancient forum dates as far back as the year 40CE. When excavation of the area began, the floor of the church, as well as the outdoor ground level, was about 3 - 4 feet higher than the current floor (note the bottom of the doorway I am standing in front of, which is the original floor level of the ancient forum). A couple of the photos show the 2000 year old floor, still in amazingly good condition. The excavation revealed the church’s foundation of in-built fragments of ancient pillars, stone beams, ornamental pieces and other ancient material, remains of earlier structures likely damaged or collapsed from earthquakes. The video shows slides projected onto the church’s inner walks of art and sculptures from the era of the church’s early years, with a musical soundtrack (I would have preferred Gregorian chants). It was a moving artistic installation in a beautiful ancient structure.Read more