Santa María de Toloño is a ruined Spanish monastery located in the Sierra de Toloño near Labastida. Constructed by the Hieronymites, the monastery was destroyed in the First Carlist War and only a few walls remain.
The sanctuary is located in a meadow at 1,201 metres above sea level. It was built by the Hieronymites between the 14th and 15th centuries, and abandoned in 1422 due to harsh weather. Later, it was affiliated with the Hermandad de la Divisa (Brotherhood of the Currency) until the end of 18th century. In 1835, during the First Carlist war, it suffered a fire that left only a part of the Baroque chapel standing.
The building was well-constructed, with church, camarín and sacristía. Its retablo mayor were of white stone. There were 22 rooms, five kitchens, separate rooms for a chaplain, two hermits and a servant, as well as a meeting room for the Divisa.
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.