Jasna Gora in Czestochowa - Station 07 - Basilica

Description

The main entrance to the basilica is located on the side of the main courtyard and leads through the porch. In the porch there is the chapel of St. Anthony of Padua separated from the porch by a grating from the 17th century (photo 01.07.001). The saint is positioned in the central part of the chapel and it is covered with a silver dress (photo 01.07.002). Next to the altar, you can see the parents of Maria: St. Joachim (photo1.07.003) and St. Anna (photo 01.07.004). The frescoes in the chapel, depicting the life of St. Anthony, date from the 18th century. In the porch niches you can see three sculptures: St. Anthony, the Virgin Mary with the Child and St. Paul the First Hermit. The frescoes in the porch date from the 18th century. On the arches are represented the coronation of the Virgin Mary and St. Michael the Archangel (photo 01.07.005), and, on the wall, the history of the coronation of the Miraculous Icon. On the eastern side there is the entrance to the minor basilica of the Discovery of the Holy Cross and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A valuable portal from the 18th century and a neo-Baroque door of the 19th century (photo 01.07.006) lead to the temple. Please, now pass through the door and stop in front of the nave.

The original church was built in Gothic style in the 15th century and was connected by a convent cloister with the chapel of Our Lady. The valuable equipment of the church in Mannerist style was unfortunately burned down in 1690. This fire became an excuse for the expansion of the temple. At the turn of the 17th and 18th century was constructed the monumental three-nave church, of which the original Gothic church became the elongated presbytery. The church and its interior gained rich baroque decorations. The barrel vaults were decorated with various floral stucco with paintings from the late 17th century (photo 01.07.007), depicting the story of the finding and the triumph of the Holy Cross. They were made by the Silesian painter Karol Dankwart. In the central part of the vault there is the icon of the Black Madonna (photo 01.07.008).

When visiting the basilica, we suggest to start from the right side, the southern aisle. First, you will pass the altar of St. Casimir the Prince (photo 01.07.009), and then the chapel of St. Paul the First Hermit, also known as the Denhoff Chapel. Originally, it supposed to serve as a family tomb. It was built in 1676 with the patronage of Kacper Denhoff. A marble portal and a forged grating with the coat of arms of the Pauline order (photo 01.07.010) lead to the chapel. The interior of the chapel is mostly made of black marble. On the main altar there is the image of St. Paul the First Hermit, which is crowned by the Trinity (photo 01.07.011). The side altars are dedicated to the figure of St. Anthony the Abbot (01.07.012) and St. Jerome (photo 01.07.013), who wrote about the life of St. Paul the First Hermit. In the niches there are statues of saints. If you look up, you will see a dome decorated with frescoes depicting the life of St. Paul and the coats of arms of the noble families associated with Denhoff (photo 01.07.014). This chapel is an important place for all local monks. Every year on 15 January, in the chapel are held the so-called Pawełki, celebrations connected with Saint Paul. On the altar are placed the relics of St. Paul, and the believers sing hymns and pray to the patron saint of the chapel. In the chapel take place part of the funeral of the monks of Jasna Gora.

Heading further towards the chancel, pass the altar of the Magi (photo 01.07.015) and walk to the next Baroque chapel.

The Jabłonowski Chapel (photo 01.07.016), from the 17th century, is unique because it is organized in two levels. The entrance portal is crowned with the coat of arms of the patron. (photo 01.07.017) The upper part, called the Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, (photo 01.07.018) dates from 1639. In the 50s of the 18th century, it was rebuilt on the initiative of Stanislaw Jablonowski, hence its other name. Inside is an altar depicting the Heart of Jesus (photo 01.07.019). On the eastern wall there is the altar of St. Angels (photo 01.07.020), and on the western wall the epitaph of the chapel's patron (01.07.021). The whole is covered with a dome with beautiful frescoes depicting the history of the Discovery of the Holy Cross (photo 01.07.022). On the four part of dome appear the four continents: Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. In the chapel there was once the Miraculous Icon of Our Lady of Kodeń, which was taken by force by the tsarist authorities. This event is mentioned in a plaque at the entrance of the chapel. (photo 01.07.023). Please, now go to the bottom chapel, the interior of which was completed in 1628. Originally, it was the crypt of St. Barbara, which was designed by the famous architect Goltzman. Since various relics were accumulated in it, the name was changed to the Chapel of the Relics of the Saints (photo 01.07.024). The relics are kept in special caskets in niches (photo 01.07.025). Among others, are located here the relics of St. Valentine, St. Philip, St. Honorata, and St. Candida. Inside, on the one of the altars there is an interesting, already forgotten image of Jesus the Nazarene. After the renovation of the chapel were uncovered valuable paintings, stucco, and images of St. Apollonia and St. Agnes from the first half of the 17th century.

Behind the chapels, in the direction of the sanctuary, there is a group of sculptures of St. Francis Xavier in the act of baptising the pagans (photo 01.07.026), the altar of St. Joseph with the image of the Saint with the Child clothed with a silver dress (photo 01.07.027) and the late Baroque altar of St. Anna (photo 01.07.028). Please, now stand at the presbytery (photo 01.07.029).

In the chancel there is the main altar from 1728, patronised by the Crown hetman Stanisław Chomętowski. The altar presents angels rising Mary toward the sky (photo 01.07.030). At the top the Holy Trinity is waiting for her with a crown (photo 01.07.031). At the foot of Mary stand the statues of the four evangelists. On the right side, next to the altar, there is a styled bishop's throne from 1866 (01.07.032). Above the main altar hangs a silver lamp donated by Queen Mary Sobieska "Marysienka". On the southern wall of the chancel there are a balcony and the organs (photo 01.07.033). On the opposite side there is another balcony (photo 01.07.034); both are decorated with frescoes depicting scenes from Jesus Christ’s life. The chancel is covered with a beautiful vault with frescoed stucco depicting the history of the Discovery of the Holy Cross (photo 01.07.035). If you turn around, you will see, at the second column on the right, the stucco pulpit (photo 01.07.036). The main nave is 29 metres high. Above the choir, you may see one of the largest organs in Poland. It consists of 105 pipes and a playing table with 4 manuals. The organs date from 1956 and architecturally refer to the organs from the 18th century (photo 01.07.037), previously located here. In the side naves there are also pipe organs (photo 01.07.038-01.07.039). The church benches date back to the second half of the 18th century and are the work of a Pauline, brother Anthony Rotter.

To continue the tour, please go to the northern nave. There, heading toward the porch, firstly you pass the altar of Our Lady of the Rosary, with the image of St. Joachim leading a young Mary (photo 01.07.040). Next, there is the chapel of the Czech saint, patron of sincere confession, and protection against flood and drought, St. John of Nepomuk. The image located in the retable is clothed in a silver dress (photo 01.07.041). Next, you will see the figure of St. Stanislaus Bishop (photo 01.07.042), the only preserved of a larger group of sculptures. Behind, there is the altar of St. Augustine, from whom the Pauline took the monastic rule (photo 01.07.043) and the altar of Christ Nativity (photo 01.07.044). In the rest of the northern nave there is quite a big portal (photo 01.07.045). Above the entrance there is a bas-relief with St. Anthony and St. Paul the First Hermit (photo 01.07.046). The portal is topped with the coat of arms of the Pauline order (photo 01.07.047). This path leads to the Chapel of the Miraculous Icon. At the end of the nave, at the choir, there is the altar of St. Maximilian Kolbe (photo 01.07.048).

Please now pass through the just-mentioned portal toward the Chapel of the Miraculous Icon.