The Jasna Gora Monastery is located in the western sector of Czestochowa, Poland. Every year, five million people from across the world visit Jasna Gora to celebrate the Christian religion at the Holy Lady of Bright Mountain chapel, known in Polish as Kaplica Matki Bozej Jasnogorskiej. Starkly situated atop a hill 300 meters high, the Jasna Gora Monastery is buttressed by a forbidding series of banks.

Inside the monastery is one of the most fabled treasures in the Christian religion--an iconic picture of the Virgin Mary known as the Black Madonna. According to legend, St. Luke the Evangelist drew this picture. Expert historians believe that the Black Madonna of the Jasna Gora Monastery was most likely created sometime during the seventh century and then redrawn by an anonymous artist 700 years later.

The Black Madonna most likely originated in Jerusalem and traveled to the monastery in Czestochowa in 1384. Over the centuries, pilgrims and thieves alike have journeyed to Jasna Gora to view this painting. In 1430, invading Hussites slashed the face of the Black Madonna with a sword. Although artists painted over the damage, you can still see the scars if you look closely enough.

In 1655, Swedish warriors swept into Poland and wreaked havoc on the land. The Jasna Gora Monastery served as a fortress for the defenders. To learn more about the history of this remarkable monastery or to book a tour to Czestochowa, contact Poland and Beyond to make the arrangements. Our professional staff can help you plan every detail.