Cathedral of St. Anastasia, Zadar

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The Cathedral of St. Anastasia (Croatian: Katedrala sv. Stošije) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Zadar, Croatia. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Zadar.

Today's cathedral was built in the Romanesque style. It is the largest church in all of Dalmatia (the coastal region of Croatia). The church's origins date back to a Christian basilica built in the 4th and 5th century, while much of today's building was constructed in the 12th and 13th centuries.

[edit] History

The first known bishop in Zadar was Felix - he attended two church councils, the first in Aquileia in 381 and the second in Milan in 390. The basilica's original patron was St. Peter. During the time of bishop Donatus, the diocese received the ashes of St. Anastasia of Syrmia from Emperor Nikephoros I, whom the cathedral took as patron. Donatus commissioned a sarcophagus for the remains, which are still held in the cathedral.

During the siege of Zadar by the Venetians and Crusaders in 1202, the cathedral was heavily damaged. For the entire 12th century the building was under repair.

Over the cathedrals history, two popes have made personal visits. Pope Alexander III arrived in 1177 and visited the cathedral as well as St. Anastasia's sarcophagus. Pope John Paul II came to the cathedral on June 9th, 2003 on one of his last international visits.