The Church of St. Donat – high school student’s project within the Visual Arts

Novak, Zrinka. (2016). The Church of St. Donat – high school student’s project within the Visual Arts. Diploma Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of Art History. [mentor Nestić, Jasmina and Maraković, Nikolina].

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Abstract

The area, where in the VIII century the Church of the Holy Trinity was built, has been inhabited since ancient times. The penetration and affirmation of Christianity in Zadar, which took place between IV and VI century, meant a major change for the city and its inhabitants. At the time the city got its first bishop, while north of the Roman Forum the Episcopal complex has launched and well under way. The construction of the Church of the Holy Trinity, within the Episcopal complex in Zadar, started with the decision of the Zadar’s bishop Donat. The church was built in two phases, first one dating back to the VIII century and the second phase dating back to the IX century. During the second phase of the construction several significant developments were incorporated into the building design such as a gallery with a system of additional rooms next to it as well as a narthex. The Church of the Holy Trinity is the biggest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia and it ranks as one of the most important examples of the Croatian and European cultural heritage. Since the XV century the church bears the name of the bishop who had initiated its construction – St. Donat. Over the years the church has undergone several attempts of restauration which were in fact not beneficial but on contrary quite damaging to its original appearance. In this graduation thesis a proposal for the high school student’s project within the Visual Arts course is presented. The aforementioned project is dedicated to the Church of St. Donat. The first phase of the project includes classroom teaching that consists of an independent research conducted by the students, both in a group or independently, and will cover three subjects: The Ancient city of Zadar, Historic opportunities during St. Donat's Church construction and St. Donat: The Church of the Holy Trinity. Subjects covered in the classroom will show a wider context and will encompass historical and social conditions that led to the construction of the church. The second phase of the project includes a one-day field trip. In the third and final phase of the project the results of the research will be presented in a short documentary that will be prepared by one of the student groups. The project will be presented to the teachers, other students as well as parents at the celebration of “Day of the School” or the school’s “Open Door” days. With this project and the student’s involvement in the research, the circumstances of the monument’s construction and the facts behind its commencement will give the students a unique opportunity to better understand it, which in turn will encourage them to truly value the rich national and cultural heritage. Furthermore, the project will help increase the insufficient hours dedicated to the Visual Arts class and increase the awareness of the significance that monuments as such bring to our national and cultural heritage.

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