While many different Virgin Mary icons exist, legend attributes the creation of the icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa to St. Luke, the first Christian iconographer. St. Helena is said to have located the icon during her visit to the Holy Land and brought it to Constantinople in the fourth century. In a critical battle with the Saracens, this icon was displayed from the walls of the city and the Saracens were routed. The icon was eventually owned by Charlemagne and changed hands many times, eventually making its way to Poland.

During the reign of St. Ladislaus, King of Poland, in the fifteenth century, the Tartars stole and vandalized the image, but the holy icon was recovered and restored.

The legend concerning the two scars on the Black Madonna's right cheek is that the Hussites stormed the monastery where the icon resided in 1430, plundering the sanctuary. Among the items stolen was the icon. After putting it in their wagon, the Hussites tried to get away but their horses refused to move. They threw the portrait down to the ground and one of the plunderers drew his sword upon the image and inflicted two deep strikes. When the robber tried to inflict a third strike, he fell to the ground and writhed in agony until his death.

Many times in the following centuries, the Holy Virgin demonstrated her miraculous protection of the Polish people through her icon. The Our Lady of Czestochowa icon is sometimes referred to as the "Black Madonna" because of the black color of the original, caused by age and the accumulated soot of the ages.

Browse the entire selection of Virgin Mary Icons today at Monastery Icons.

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Our Lady of Czestochowa icon

Unique and specially venerated among Virgin Mary icons, legend attributes the creation of the icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa to Saint Luke, the first Christian iconographer. She is sometimes sometimes referred to as the "Black Madonna" because of the black color of the original, caused by age and the accumulated soot of the ages.

Saint Helena is said to have located the icon during her visit to the Holy Land and brought it to Constantinople in the fourth century. In a critical battle with the Saracens, this icon was displayed from the walls of the city and the Saracens were routed. The icon was eventually owned by Charlemagne and changed hands many times, eventually making its way to Poland.

During the reign of St. Ladislaus, King of Poland, in the fifteenth century, the Tartars stole and vandalized the image, but the holy icon was recovered and restored. Many times in the following centuries, the Holy Virgin demonstrated her miraculous protection of the Polish people through her icon.

Browse the entire selection of Virgin Mary Icons today at Monastery Icons.