Częstochowa is a city in south Poland on the Warta River with 248,894 inhabitants (2004). It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship (administrative division) since 1999, and was previously the capital of Częstochowa Voivodeship (1975-1998). However, Czestochowa historically is part of Lesser Poland, not of Silesia and before 1795 (see: Partitions of Poland), it had belonged to the Kraków Voivodeship.
The town is known for the famous Paulist monastery of Jasna Góra that is the home of the Black Madonna painting, a shrine to the Virgin Mary. Every year, millions of pilgrims from all over the world come to Częstochowa to see it.
The Jasna Góra hill - The first Pauline Fathers settled on the hill in 1382 when Prince Ladislaus of Opole (Władysław Opolczyk) donated the Holy Virgin Mary Parish Church to the Order of Pauline Fathers. Soon the monastry was built on this site in 1393 following the foundation by King Ladislaus Jagiello and his wife Queen Jadwiga, as well as many other donations afterwards. Fortifications built in 1620-1644 by King Ladislaus IV Vasa made the monastery an important part of the country's defences. In 1655 the fortress successfully fought off the Swedish army under King Charles X Gustavus. At that time the defence at Prior Augustyn Kordecki's command had a great moral and political significance. Monarchs and ever growing multitudes of the faithful started going on pilgrimage to Częstochowa. (more)
For the first time ever Częstochowa was mentioned in the year 1220. In the 14th century the town was granted its foundation charter, according to the German law by King Casimir the Great, and then the town developed into an important trade centre on the route from Russia and Wallachia to Lower Silesia and Saxony. The next significant stage in the development of Częstochowa was initiated when the town was granted the privilege to excavate and smelt iron ore. The advantageous location on the Warta River and the proximity of the Monastery undoubtedly encouraged the town development. Soon another settlement began to expand, this time around the Monastery and that settlement was granted municipal rights in 1717. (more)
Czestochowa Prezentation