
Inside a Catholic church in Częstochowa
Photo Credit: Sacud, GNU Free Documentation License
Częstochowa
Poland
Częstochowa is a city in south Poland, on the banks of the Warta River. It has a population of 250,000. Czestochowa is famous as the site of the Paulist monastery of Jasna Gora, where the famous Black Madonna painting is kept. The site draws millions of Catholic pilgrims from all over the world. In addition, other tourist attractions in Czestochowa include the excavation site and museum showcasing the Bronze Age Lusatian culture, and the ruined medieval castle of Olsztyn.
The name Częstochowa means "Częstoch's place". The city first appeared in historical documents in 1220. Jasna Gora was founded later, in 1382. Częstochowa received the town charter in 1377 and the Magdeburg Rights, which was a set of German town law regulating the degree of autonomy, in 1502.
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