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Baltadvaris Castle was a fortified manor house, earlier sometimes classed as a bastion castle. The masonry castle with wooden fortifications was constructed by Swedish in the 16th century, in a bend of the River Siesartis, in order to secure the road from Vilnius to Riga against attacks from Livonia. It used to be the property of the princely Giedraičiai (Giedroyć) family. The neglected castle and fortifications gradually fell into ruins. Today only the foundations remain as well as parts of the walls and of the castle gates, together with several cellars.
References: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.