There has been a church dedicated to St. Etienne (Saint Stephen) in Chinon since the 11th century but the current church was constructed between 1460 and 1490. It comprises a nave of five bays, two side chapels, a choir of two bays and a polygonal apse.
The flamboyant gothic influence is in evidence from the moment you step through the elaborate portal. The stained glass windows are by the master glass-maker Julien-Leopold Lobin who's workshops provided many of the windows for the 19th century church-building programme in the region.
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.