The church of Santa Maria della Valle, also called Santa Maria della Scala, is known under the name of Badiazza, and was probably built during the 11th century in the Badiazza dried up riverbed of a stream that gives its name to the church. The church, that lies at the feet of the San Rizzo mountains, was recently restored and given back to the citizens and tourists who love to discover historic beauties not too far from the city centre.
The history of the monastic community is unconfirmed. It was founded by Normans at the end of the 11th century or by the Cistercian community founded in the 13th century. The monastery and the original church were enlarged and incorporated together, and the religious site was elevated to the rank of Abbey.
References:Střekov Castle (Schreckenstein) is perched atop a cliff above the River Elbe, near the city of Ústí nad Labem. It was built in 1316 for John of Luxembourg, the father of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, to guard an important trade route to Germany. After changing hands several times, the castle was acquired by the Lobkowicz family in 1563. Its strategic importance led to occupations by Imperial Habsburg, Saxon, and Swedish forces during the Thirty Years' War, as well as successive sieges by Austrian and Prussian armies during the Seven Years' War.
Although Střekov Castle was heavily damaged during those conflicts and abandoned as a military installation by the end of the 18th century, the 1800s saw many poets and artists visiting the castle, drawn by a new trend of interest in romantic ruins.