Perched on top of the hill, La Mothe Castle dominates the village of Arvier. Unfortunately only the four sided tower remains intact, while the ruins of the round tower and the perimeter wall are still visible. From its current appearance, construction of the castle is estimated as being between the end of the 12th and the start of the 13th century, with important modifications in the 15th century. It was first mentioned in 1287, when Aimone de Arverio paid feudal homage to the count of Savoy. According to 18th-century historian Jean-Baptiste De Tillier, the Savoy nobleman Aimar de la Mothe came to Val d’Aosta towards the end of the 13th century and married the heiress of the noble De Arverio family, thus gaining possession of the castle, before restoring it and giving it his own name.
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.