The Monastery of St. Francis Assisi in Zadar, along with a church of the same name, was built around 1221. It was consecrated on October 12, 1282 by bishop Lovro Periandar. Throughout the centuries of its history the monastery was the focal point of religious life in the city of Zadar. It was also home to the Franciscan school, precursor to today's University of Zadar. It had rich picture gallery as well as a collection of codices and parchments. In this monastery Saint Jakov of Zadar was first ordained.
The church and monastery lie in the western part of the city. The church is the oldest Gothic church in Dalmatia. The inside is relatively plain. Behind the main altar dating from 1672 lies what was once a shrine and inside choir seats richly decorated with fretwork in gothic style from 1394 by Giacomo da Borgo Sansepolcro.
The sacristy, which follows from the choir area, is important in Croatian history, as in 1358 the Venetian Republic and the Hungarian-Croatian king Louis I signed the Treaty of Zadar in which the Venetians gave up their Dalmatian holdings.
References:The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.