The greatest treasure of Jasna Góra is the Miraculous Image of Our Lady. Because of it, Jasna Góra became one of the largest Marian sanctuaries in Poland in the 15th century. The reason for this is not explained by the legend attributing the icon's authorship to St. Luke the Evangelist, nor by the protection of the royal couple, Jadwiga and Władysław Jagiełło. The cause of this place's uniqueness must be deeper. It is noteworthy that there have never been any Marian apparitions at Jasna Góra, unlike other sanctuaries. The power and mystery that draw pilgrims to the feet of Our Lady of Jasna Góra lie in Her Miraculous Image. Without it, Jasna Góra would be just a collection of buildings, relics, and works of art—perhaps beautiful and rich, but a lifeless museum.
The oldest description of the image of Our Lady comes from Jan Długosz in "Liber Beneficiorum": "The image of Mary, the most glorious and noble Virgin and Lady, Queen of the world and our Queen (…) made in a strange and rare manner of painting (…) with a very delightful expression on her face, which penetrates the onlookers with special piety—as if you were looking at a living person." The painting belongs to the type of depictions known as Hodegetria. This name means "She who shows the way." It presents Mary as the Mother of God, but also the Mother of every person.
Regarding the origins of the Image and its history until 1382, we do not have certain and strictly historical information—only tradition and various pious legends. According to tradition, the Image of Our Lady of Jasna Góra was painted by St. Luke the Evangelist during the lifetime of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The same tradition even suggests that the Image is painted on a board from the table used by the Holy Family in Nazareth.
In the 4th century, St. Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, is said to have brought this Image to Constantinople. There, it was held in great veneration and provided help, especially during times of great distress such as contagious diseases and epidemics. Around the 9th or 10th century, the Image traveled north, eventually resting permanently in the castle of Bełz, northeast of Lviv, in Red Ruthenia.
In 1382, Władysław, Duke of Opole, ruled over Ruthenia on behalf of King Louis I of Hungary. To protect the Image from potential desecration by pagan Tatars (once, during the siege of Bełz Castle, a Tatar arrow flew through the chapel window and struck the neck of the Mother of God), the Duke decided to transport the Image to Opole in Silesia. When he stopped for a short rest in Częstochowa at the foot of the church on Jasna Góra, the Mother of God made it known to him that she wished to remain there. Therefore, the Duke left the Image at Jasna Góra, entrusting it to the care of the white-clad Pauline Fathers, who had been brought from Hungary in 1382.
Fragments from the History of the Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Jasna Góra
The image is painted on three linden wood boards with total dimensions of 121.8 cm in height, 81.3 cm in width, and a maximum thickness of 3.5 cm. It depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary standing in half-figure with the Child Jesus in her arms. Mary faces the faithful, while the Child's face is directed towards the pilgrim, although His gaze does not meet theirs. Both faces express contemplation, a certain absence, and solemnity. The right cheek of the Mother of God bears two parallel cuts, intersected by a third cut along the nose. Six cuts are visible on her neck, two of which are quite clear, while the remaining four are less distinct. The Child, dressed in a crimson robe, rests on Mary's left arm; in His left hand, He holds a book, while His right hand is raised in a characteristic gesture of a teacher, ruler, or blessing. Mary's right hand rests on her chest, pointing to Jesus, the only Savior of the world. The blue and dark blue gown and mantle of the Mother of God are adorned with golden lilies of Anjou. Above the Virgin's forehead, the artist placed a six-pointed star. The image of the Mother of God is painted against a blue-green background that transitions to a sea-wave shade. The dominant element of the icon is the gilded halos around the heads of Mary and Jesus—a symbol of God the Father, merging into a single composition, forming a characteristic detail contrasting with the dark complexion of the holy figures. Hence, the Mother of God is sometimes called the "Black Madonna."
In 1430, valuable votive offerings were stolen from the chapel at Jasna Góra, and the Miraculous Image was damaged. After being stripped of its valuables, the Image was slashed with a sword and broken. According to tradition, it was found in the place where the Church of St. Barbara, with its miraculous spring, stands today, not far from Jasna Góra. The Pauline Fathers brought the damaged Image to Kraków, to the court of King Władysław Jagiełło, who, along with his wife, St. Jadwiga, were the founders of the oldest part of the Chapel of Our Lady at Jasna Góra.
King Władysław Jagiełło himself took up the task of restoring the Image. Numerous difficulties arose due to the painting technique of the Jasna Góra Image. It was probably so badly damaged that it was decided to overlay new canvases on the existing, venerated board and repaint the image according to the design visible on the old, damaged canvases, fragments of which were left under the new canvases. The lasting evidence of the 1430 damage to the Image is the scars on the face of the Mother of God.
A distinctive feature by which anyone can recognize the Jasna Góra Image is the scars on the face of the Mother of God. The Jasna Góra Image bears the marks of wounds and pain. There are many cuts on the Image (on the neck, face, and two under the right eye). It is as if the Mother of God wants to tell us that she is the Mother and Queen of a Nation that has been tormented and afflicted for centuries. Just as seven swords of sorrow pierced her heart under the Cross, so now the signs of painful wounds are visible on her face at Jasna Góra.
To the left of the image are the insignia of the Mother of God, Queen of Poland—a scepter and an orb—made in 1926, funded by Polish women and crafted by the Warsaw company "Bracia Łopieńscy." On the right side of the image are the Golden Rose and a gold votive heart with the inscription "TOTUS TUUS" presented by Pope John Paul II in 1979 and 1982.
An extraordinary and poignant votive offering left by Saint Pope John Paul II, currently displayed in a special case on the altar of the Mother of God, is the belt of his cassock, shot and bloodied during the assassination attempt in St. Peter's Square on May 13, 1981.
The image of the Mother of God is covered by a silver screen from 1723 with an allegorical composition referring to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The screen is surrounded by a border from 1763, funded by the Działyński family.
The image of Jasna Góra has been renowned for miracles since the beginning, making the Częstochowa Marian sanctuary famous and attracting pilgrims from all over Poland and, in later centuries, from distant European countries. Jan Długosz, who died in 1480, wrote: "From all over Poland and neighboring countries, namely Silesia, Moravia, Prussia, and Hungary, the devout people gather here for the feast of the Holy Mary, whose rare and devout image is found in this place, for the astonishing miracles that have occurred here through the intercession of our Lady and Advocate." The faith of the pilgrims was marked by numerous votive offerings given to the Mother of God, whose value should be primarily understood in terms of the intention with which they were offered—pure and noble—and not their cost or the person of the donor.