Jasna Gora Tour - Our Lady of Czestochowa

National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa.

The main altar dates from the seventeenth century and its wooden surface is additionally covered with ebony.

Ornaments and statues around the image of the Virgin Mary are made of silver.

On one side of the image are the royal insignia (scepter and apple), and on the second side are gifts from Pope John Paul II - gold rose, gold heart and in a glass casket - shot through and bloody belt of John Paul II cassock, who he was wearing at the time of the assassination on his life.

Especially solemnly is celebrated from the seventeenth century and ceremony of unveiling and covering of the Miraculous Image.

With the sound of trumpets, kettledrums and drum group of 16 monks perform baroque melody.

Pilgrimage to Jasna Gora.

Every year, in the summer - the believers depart from many cities in Poland to Częstochowa.

Most of pilgrimage arrives at the monastery in the middle of August.

Every year, according to estimates, is involved in it more than 100,000 people and every year the number of participants increases.

The longest pilgrimage is from Hel (near of Gdańsk) - distance 640 km / 398 miles. Walking time is 19 days.

The largest pilgrimage departs from Warsaw - distance in km is 245 km / 152 miles. Walking time is 9 days. Number of participants - 15.000 

In contrast, the oldest pilgrimage is Pabianice. The first took place in the fifteenth century.

Among the many treasures donated to the monastery in the Treasury can be seen following thanksgiving gifts:

• gold-embroidered velvet bedspreads from the thirteenth century.
• From the fourteenth century - the royal robes.
• From the fifteenth century - travel altars and crosses of Polish kings.
• From the sixteenth century - royal silver mirror and royal silver monstrance.
• From the seventeenth century - royal and hetman maces, Turkish swords and bows, Hussar wings, rosaries, crosses, and especially valuable - pure gold monstrance from 1672, made in memory of Polish liberation from the Swedes, from jewels of the treasury of Jasna Góra. It is made of 2,368 diamonds, 2208 rubies, 30 sapphires, 81 emeralds and 215 pearls.

Sometimes it is made available to visitors Relics Chapel, which houses the relics brought from Rome.

There are, among others, four heads of the Martyrs:

Eusebius the Priest, St. Honorata, St. Candida and St. Donat the Deacon, as well as part of hand of St. Valentine.

The main gate to the shrine. Lubomirski Gate (XVIII century).

At the top of the gate placed statues of saints:

Michael the Archangel, St. Paul the Hermit and Anthony the Hermit (patrons of the Order of monks at Jasna Góra).

The characters are two-sided and therefore look alike for entering and for outgoing people.

Above the entrance is inscribed in Latin, the first line of prayer Under Your Defense:

"Sub tuum praesidium."

After passing through the Lubomirski Gate, pilgrim passes through 3 next gates: Our Lady of Victory (Queen of Poland), Our Lady of Sorrows, and through the last fourth - Jagiełło Gate.