There was once a settlement on the Warta river, just on the route from the region of the Little Poland (Ma³opolska) through Silesia to the Great Poland (Wielkopolska). The settlement was soon promoted to the status of town by King Casimir the Great. By this historic decision Prince Ladislaus of Opole (W³adys³aw Opolczyk) founded here the Monastery of Paulite Fathers and donated the Holy Icon to them. Six centuries ago the town was entrusted to the care of the Mother of God. From that time on, monarchs and their subjects, knights as well as common people have made a great many pilgrimages to Holy Mary Shrine in Czêstochowa, the Shrine of the Queen of Poland. Thus Czêstochowa has rapidlly become famous all over the world.

In the 19th century the city of Czêstochowa was among the most developed ones in Poland. New factories, houses, and schools were then built. Soon, the slender spire of the Protestant church, domes of the Russian Orthodox church and Moresque decorations of the synagogue became visible in the city landscape.

Czêstochowa was the first city that granted its Honorary Citizenship to Holy Father John Paul II. Also, Czêstochowa was the first city in Central and Eastern Europe to be honoured by the Council of Europe with the prestigous awards, such like the Honorary Flag of Europe, the Plate of the Europe Council, as well as finally the PRIX DE L’EUROPE prize.

Czêstochowa is an important academic centre. Thousands of young people have the opportunity here to get higher education. Small and medium size enterprises are thriving in the city and they are ever more and more prepared to compete on European markets and worlwide. The city takes care of its infrastructure and environment protection.

We are proud of great number of well-known artists living in the city as well as the national heritage which have been gathered in Czêstochowa city through centuries. Likewise, we pride ourselves on great many people born in Czêstochowa which are now scattered all over the world, the people who have recently been our welcome guests at the 1-st World Congress of Czêstochowa People to be held in our city.

The city is surrounded with picturesque, rocky hills with river valleys, all that located in the scenery of the Jura Upland and with the tower of the “Jasna Góra” Paulite Fathers Monastery easily distinguishable in the beautiful landscape.

Sights

The first Pauline Fathers settled on the hill in 1382 when Prince Ladislaus of Opole (W³adys³aw 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 Czêstochowa.

Then King John Casimir in his Lvov Vows declared the Mother of God to be the Queen of Poland. It happened that the fortifications of Jasna Góra withstood the sieges of the Swedish army during the Northern Wars in 1702, 1704 and 1705. After some time in the year 1717 the first coronation of the Black Madonna picture took place in Poland.