Jasna Góra (hill)
Hill in Częstochowa, Poland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jasna Góra Hill (formerly Stara Góra Hill) is a hill in Częstochowa, Poland, with an elevation of 295 meters above sea level, located in the Upper Warta Depression.[1] The northeastern summit of the hill is home to the Jasna Góra Monastery.
| Jasna Góra Hill | |
|---|---|
View of the hill and the Jasna Góra Monastery from Najświętszej Maryi Panny Avenue | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 295 m (968 ft) |
| Coordinates | 50°48′42″N 19°05′28″E |
| Geography | |
  Jasna Góra Hill | |
| Country |  Poland |
The TERYT register lists Jasna Góra as a part of the city of Częstochowa. Administratively, it belongs to the districts of Podjasnogórska and Częstochówka-Parkitka.[2]
Geography
The hill has three summits.[3][4] The highest point, at 295 meters above sea level,[3][5][6] is located approximately 325 meters west of the Jasna Góra Monastery, behind the pilgrim house parking lot.[3] The monastery complex is situated on the northeastern summit,[3][4] at an elevation of 293 meters above sea level.[3][7][8] The third summit, in the southwest, is located near St. Monika Street.[3] For comparison, Częstochowa's city center lies at an elevation of 250–255 meters above sea level.[5]
It is an inselberg composed of Upper Jurassic limestone.[1] The base is surrounded by layers of Middle Jurassic clay.[6] The hill is heavily urbanized, with limestone outcrops preserved in only two locations (near the St. James Bastion and the sixth station of the Way of the Cross).[3]
Name
The name Jasna Góra was first used in a document from 1388.[8][9] It was given by Hungarian Pauline monks in reference to their mother monastery of St. Lawrence on Jasna Góra in Buda.[10] The hypothesis that the name derives from the hill's light-colored limestone is considered unlikely. Previously, the hill was known as Stara Góra (Old Hill).[9]
An alternative perspective suggests that Stara Góra refers to the entire hill, while Jasna Góra specifically denotes the northeastern summit where the monastery is located.[4]