Black Madonna of Częstochowa
icon of the Virgin Mary in Poland
The Black Madonna of Częstochowa (also known as Black Madonna of Jasna Góra) (Polish: Czarna Madonna z Częstochowy/Jasnej Góry; Latin: Imago thaumaturga Beatae Virginis Mariae Immaculatae Conceptae, in Claro Monte, lit. 'Miraculous Image of the Immaculate Conception, the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Crystal Mountain'), also known as Our Lady of Częstochowa or Our Lady of Jasna Góra (Polish: Matka Boża Częstochowska/Jasnogórska) is a venerated icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus enshrined at the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland. In English this title has been translated as Our Lady of Bright Mount/Mountain.
Pope Clement XI issued a Pontifical decree of canonical coronation to the image on 8 September 1717 via the Vatican Chapter. It has also merited three Pontifical golden roses.
The icon is venerated by both Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians.
Description of the image
The original painting (122 centimeters × 82 centimetres or 48 by 32 inches) displays a traditional composition well known in the icons of Orthodox Christianity. The Virgin Mary is shown as the "Hodegetria" version (meaning "One Who Shows the Way" or "Οδηγήτρια" in Greek). In it, Mary directs attention away from herself, gesturing with her right hand toward Jesus as the source of salvation. In turn, the child extends his right hand toward the viewer in blessing while holding a book of gospels in his left hand. The icon shows Mary in fleur-de-lis robes.
“Black Madonna of Częstochowa” enters the record as icon of the Virgin Mary in Poland. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Black, Madonna and Częstochowa can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Black Madonna of Częstochowa” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Black, Madonna and Częstochowa provides the most credible route into that argument.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 12, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q573619. VIAF identifies the subject as 180782043. The Library of Congress control number is n2004040851. None of the 3 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1717.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Black Madonna of Częstochowa”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Black Madonna of Częstochowa primary sources, Black Madonna of Częstochowa archive and Black research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Black Madonna of Częstochowa”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Black Madonna of Częstochowa” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.