A church by the name of Saint-Pierre existed in Avignon already in the 7th century. The collegiate church was founded in 1358 with the construction of the canons' building and the cloister, the apse and the belltower. Side chapels were added in the 15th century, and the nave enlarged. Outstanding carved wooden doors with decors from the late Renaissance period. Several sculpted works inside, and paintings by Simon de Châlons, Parrocel and Nicolas Mignard. Relics of Blessed Pierre de Luxembourg.
The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.
The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.
The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.
The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.