Częstochowa is known as the spiritual heart of the nation and home to the Jasna Góra fortified monastery founded in 1382 that houses the icon of the Black Madonna (Our Lady of Częstochowa). Along with Rome, Fatima in Portugal, and Lourdes in France, the Jasna Gora Monastery of Czestochowa belongs to the most important and inspiring pilgrimage points in the Catholic Church.
The monastery was founded in 1382 by Pauline monks invited from Hungary, the Jasna Góra Monastery grew into Poland’s most sacred pilgrimage destination drawing over 4.5 million visitors every year. The monastery gained legendary status in 1655 when a small group of monks and volunteers successfully defended the fortified sanctuary against a massive Swedish army during the Swedish Deluge, leading King Jan Kazimierz to crown the Virgin Mary as the Queen of Poland.
The Black Madonna is a Byzantine-style Hodegetria painting featuring distinct facial scars from a 1430 robbery. We had the strange experience of being led around the perimeter of the chapel containing the Black Madonna while packed with devotees attending a service. (Services run continuously).
On our way back to Warsaw we were feted with an elegant and excellent “home hosted” dinner in a lodge to a former castle in Lowicz.
