Santa Caterina is a Baroque-style, Roman Catholic church located on Piazza Castello, in Casale Monferrato. This church was erected for Dominican nuns and consecrated in 1726. The architect was Giacomo Zanetti using designs by Giovanni Battista Scapitta. The highly decorated facade is in close proximity to the elliptical dome. The interiors were frescoed by Giovanni Carlo Aliberti who painted the Saints and Allegories of the Virtues, while the dome was painted by lesser-known painters Benaschi and Vittore. The statue of the Virgin of the Assumption (1780) on the main altar was sculpted by Giovanni Battista Bernero.
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.