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Popular Things To Do | Other Things To Do Tips | All Tips (46) The miraculous picture of Our Lady is undoubtedly the heart of Jasna Gora. Without it the monastery would be just another religious place, the complex of church buildings and valuable works of art. It is the image of Virgin Mary that attracts millons of pilgrims to the place.
The origin of the painting has not been fully explained yet. As the legend goes it has been painted on the board of the table at which Holy Family prayed and had their meals. The painting was brought to Jasna Gora by the founder of the monastery - Prince Wladyslaw Opolczyk after his victory over Tartar troops. When one of the Tartar arrows hit the Holy Mother's face , the fog fell all over the place and the Prince, taking advantage of the situation, routed the enemy.
From the moment of its arrival at the sanctuary the image was surrounded by enormous cult and reverence. Unfortunately, this fame also attracted the robbers, who in 1430 broke into the Chapel of Our Lady, robbed the icon of its precious decorations, and scarred the face of Mary. Here again the facts mix with the legend, which tells that the robbers wanted to take the miraculous painting, but when they reached the place of the present church of Saint Barbara, their horses suddenly stopped and didn't want to go any further. One of the robbers then threw the painting furiously on the ground and the spring spurted out of this place.
The present picture was painted in1430-1434 on the original boards and was modelled on the old painting.
The size of the picture is 121,7 cm x 81,5 cm. It is placed in a special brass case which separates the painting from its decorations enabling the air circulation.
Our Lady is 'the owner' of several dresses, the most precious of which are the ruby and the diamond ones. Each of the pieces of old jewellery placed on the dresses is the masterpiece in itself. The custom of decorating the Head of Virgin Mary with crowns dates back to the very beginnings of the sanctuary. Leave a Comment Address: Jasna Gora - the Chapel of Virgin Mary
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The monastery was founded by Piast Prince Wladyslaw Opolczyk, who brought here in 1382 a group of 16 Pauline brothers from Hungary. In 1393 the Polish king Wladyslaw Jagiello took the sanctuary under his protection, and so did the next kings of Poland. The increasing cult of Holy Mother of God made it necessary to build in the 15th century a big church which replaced the first small one. Until the 17th century the monastery did not have proper defence walls. It was during the reigns of King Wladyslaw IV that the sanctuary became also the 'Virgin's Mary fortress'. The most dramatic moments were to come very soon. In 1655 Jasna Gora was attacked by Swedish troops. The siege lasted 40 days. Today it's hard to believe that a group consisting of 160 soldiers and 70 friars commanded by Father Augustyn Kordecki managed to fight back the enemy army of 3 thousand well-trained soldiers. Isn't it a proof of Mary's care? The victory was a turning point in the Polish - Swedish war. In 1656 Virgin Mary was announced by King Jan Kazimierz the Queen and Carer of Poland. Since then Jasna Gora has become the symbol of national and religious freedom.
To express their gratitude, love and dedication to Our Lady, the faithful desired to decorate Her head with a crown, but only Vatican had the right to do it. After years of efforts in 1717 the Miraculous Picture of Our Lady was decorated with papal crowns and thus honoured and recognised all over the world.
The sanctuary has been the stronghold of faith and Polish spiritual life in many hard moments of our history: the times of partitions, Nazi occupation and post-war communistic regime. At present, Jasna Gora may be perceived as the signpost pointing at the right way of life, in which 'The good defeats the evil'. Leave a Comment Address: Jasna Gora - Czestochowa
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The castle in Olsztyn was built in the times of Kazimierz the Great - the last of Polish Piast kings. The castle was the scene of political intrigues against the king. The leader of the anti-royal plot, Macko Borkowic, was sentenced to death by starvation in the dungeons of the tower. His ghost can be met in the ruins even today. The castle was destroyed by the Swedish troops, only the characteristic tower has been preserved. Leave a Comment Directions: about 15 km from Czestochowa
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The ruins of Ogrodzieniec castle belong to the most picturesque in the country. In the times of renaissance the castle belonged to the Boner family who had the ambition of making the residence equal to the Wawel Castle in Cracow. Today it's hard to imagine its past splendor. But you can climb the spiral stairs leading to the keep and have a look at white rocks scattered in the neighbourhood. They are very popular with future alpinists who train their rock-climbing skills here. Leave a Comment Directions: near Zawiercie and Dabrawa Gornicza
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These two castles were built in the 14th century to defend Polish kingdom against invasion from Silesia. According to the legend the castles were built by two brothers Mir and Bobol who quarrelled about a beautiful girl. They got wounded fighting for her while she killed herself jumping from the high tower in Bobolice castle. Today you can visit these romantic ruins and from the top admire the beautiful view on Kroczyckie Rocks. In hotel Ostaniec near Kroczyce there is a rock-climbing school and in a shop there you can buy all necessary equipment. Every year in mid-August Polish Rock Climbing Competitions are held here. Leave a Comment Directions: near Kroczyce
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If you want to see some of the finest votive offerings, the Treasury is a must! The oldest items date back to the 14th century! Most of the vota were offered at the end of the 17th c. and during the first half of the 18th c. Check the jewellery as well as Catholic rite objects.
The treasury also displays items of completely different value... for example the vota offerings from people who survived concentration camps in WWII... The Pauline fathers have been registering all the vota since the beginning of the 17th c.
Photo from Jasna Gora website Leave a Comment
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It is the first entrance gate leading to the sanctuary. Built in 1723 it was founded by the Lubomirscy family. On the wall there is a picture of Virgin Mary, above the sculpture of Michael Archangel with a sword and at sides the figures of Saint Paul the Hermit and Saint Anthony.
Before entering the sanctuary grounds you may notice the coat of arms of Paulines made of cobblestone of a different colour. It shows a palm tree with a raven on top holding a loaf of bread in its beak. Leaning against the tree are two lions. According to the legend Saint Paul the Hermit lived on a desert feeding himself on palm-tree fruits. Every day a raven brought him half a loaf of bread and when once Saint Anthony paid him a visit, the raven brought the whole loaf. When Saint Paul died two lions dug the the hole in which Saint Anthony buried his friend. Leave a Comment Address: Jasna Gora
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Remember? This was once also a fortress! So you come to Jasna Gora not only for spiritual experience but also for making history more meaningful.
Keep walking along the walls. Try the various walkways and you'll sure find this... peaceful corner ;-)
Check more photos in my travelogue Jasna Gora, the Fortress Leave a Comment
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Take a stroll around the sanctuary by following the walkway within the walls of Jasna Gora.
This is the route for the Stations of the Cross which are erected as sculptures in the park that surrounds the complex... see one of them on the outside of the wall to the right of the picture? It's worth taking the route at least to admire the artwork :-)
Check the close-up in my travelogue Jasna Gora, the Shrine
And this huuuge bell I'm not quite sure why it's sitting there... But I'll add more info as soon as I find out. Leave a Comment
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The Chapel with the painting is much smaller than the adjacent Basilica Minor but it is, of course, the sanctuary's core. It started as a tiny wooden shrine in 14th c. and was then rebuilt and expanded several times across the ages till it gained its present Baroque look.
It's always been famous for the many miracles received through the intercession of the Virgin Mary. The chapel's walls are literally lined with votive offerings (crutches, glasses, jewellery, etc) and there are even more in the sanctuary's Treasury. And the icon is set in an altar of ebony and silver that was itself a votive offering from one of our Grand Chancellors in 1650.
The chapel is also the resting place for the cinerary urn of father Kordecki who lead the sanctuary's defence against the Swedish siege in 1655.
Photo from Jasna Gora website
(taking pictures inside the chapel is not allowed) Leave a Comment
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on June 21, 2004
on July 17, 2006
