Remains of the Church of St Lawrence, Zadar

The remains of the Church of St Lawrence in Zadar are of interest to anyone who wants to see what church architecture looked like before the full Romanesque period. Experts count it among the most distinctive monuments of the early Middle Ages on this part of the coast. It is located in the town of Zadar, in Zadar County.

The church dates from the period between the 9th and 11th centuries, so pre-Romanesque and Romanesque features are interwoven in it. Its ground plan is elongated, and two short rows of columns divide the interior into three aisles, though without a true basilical structure. The sanctuary ends in a rectangular niche covered by a semi-dome resting on squinches, with two tiny side rooms beside it. The outer wall surfaces are enlivened by shallow pilasters and blind arches, while in front of the entrance is a porch with a tower-belfry.

It is a protected cultural property, and the remains of the church are entered in the Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia under the code Z-751.

Data: Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia (Ministry of Culture and Media), Open Licence; coordinates: DGU (centre of the settlement).