Holy Virgin Mary
avenue is the main artery of Częstochowa, designed by Jan Bernhard
and built in 1818. It connected two distinct urban environments, Old
Częstochowa and New Częstochowa, and led from St Sigismund's church
to the parks below Jasna Góra monastery. During second half of XIXth
century it is along this avenue that representative buildings and
burgher tenements were built, richly adorned with balconies and oriel
windows. In the middle of the avenue, at St Jacob's square (modern
Biegański's square), a town hall was erected.
Currently, Holy
Virgin Mary avenue is a place of friendly meetings and family
strolls, it leads pilgrims straight to Jasna Góra monastery and
encourages tourists to familiarize themselves with its history. The
avenue offers a variety of gastronomic and entertainment facilities,
as well as cultural happenings. This special boulevard also holds
many large events throughout the year, largest of which take place at
Biegański's square. Besides historic tenements with their own, often
dramatic, histories, visitors can encounter many places along the
Holy Virgin Mary avenue that create the unique urban ambience of
Częstochowa.
"Girl with
pigeons" is one of the most often photographed elements of small
architecture in Częstochowa. Fountain was made by Ewa Maliszewska,
known for designing and sculpting the puppets for an Oscar-winning
animated movie, "Peter & The Wolf", co-produced by
Se-ma-for, a famous animation studio based in Łódź.
Consecrated in 1862, this oriented
church was a part of Mariavite Sisters convent, which also contained
a boarding school for girls. In modern times the church holds
tridentine masses and is nestled along the "Sienkiewicz"
high school, made famous by its alumnus, Muniek Staszczyk, a leader
of famous Polish rock band, T. Love.
This late
classicist building was erected in 1870 as a residential building and
transformed into bishop's curia in 1927, thanks to efforts of fr.
Jan Pilica. The building contains a florentine terracotta dated
XV-XVI century, probably made in the workshop of della Robbia family.
Halina
Poświatowska was a famous poet born in Częstochowa, whose work
concerned mostly themes of love and erotica. The statue of Halina
Poświatowska (and her cat) was unveiled in 2007 and was the first in
a series of statues commemorating famous citizens of Częstochowa.
This late
classicist building was erected in 1875 as headquarters of orthodox
clergy and transformed during the interwar period into bishop's
palace. Before the WW II it served as a command headquarters for
Polish 7th Infantry Division. During German occupation it
was used as police headquarters and after the war, during communist
period, it served as headquarters for District Military Staff.
Nowadays, the building holds a city museum.
Marek Perepeczko
was an actor most known for playing the titular role in cult
"Janosik" TV series, portraying the life of a highlander
bandit that "took from the rich, gave to the poor". During
1997-2003 Marek Perepeczko was a director of Adam Mickiewicz Theatre
in Częstochowa.
Unveiled in 2014,
the "Tower of Babel" mural was created by Tomasz Sętowski
and a team of graffiti artists called "Dreamers". It
features surreal imagery, based on biblical and mythological motifs,
painted on a building wall that is almost 300m².
Old Town Hall is a
classicist building designed by Francis Reinstein and built during
1828-1836, after joining the Old Częstochowa and New Częstochowa
via Holy Virgin Mary avenue (thus creating modern urban layout).
Currently, Old Town Hall features a museum and an observation tower,
from which visitors can view the city panorama.
Since XVIth
century, various temples were located in place of what is now St.
James Church, on a pilgrim trail between Old Częstochowa and New
Częstochowa. Current building was erected during 1870-1872 as an
Orthodox church of Saints Cyril and Methodius. In 1914 the temple was
again transformed to a Catholic church and incorporated into St.
Jacob's parish in 1947.
Theatre building
was designed by Józef Krupa and Teodor Łapiński and erected in
1931, thanks to initiative of Jan Otrembski and district foreman
Kazimierz Kühn. At first it was known as Municipal Chamber Theatre.
It was renamed twice – in 1938 as Municipal Theatre of Częstochowa
and in 1956 as Adam Mickiewicz Theatre.
Russian National
Bank was built during 1903-1904 as an eclectic building with
dominating neorennaisance features. In 1927 the building was taken
over by Polish National Bank. It was a place of failed robbery
attempt by legendary Polish safecracker Szpicbródka and a succesful
robbery by a unit of Polish National Armed Forces in 1943, during
German occupation.
Erected during
1894-1907, Merchant's House is an L-shaped eclectic building with
prevalent neo-gothic features. At the beginning of XXth century it
hosted trading courses. During interwar period various banks were
located in the building, as well as Częstochowa Savings and Loans
Association.
Dr. Władysław
Biegański was a superintendent of municipality hospital in
Częstochowa, as well as initiator of the creation of public
library. His bench statue was unveiled in 2008 and is located in
front of the library that he helped create.
One of the most
representative buildings in the city center, built during 1901-1903
by evangelical industrialist Adolf Franke. Franke's House is build in
eclectic style, reminiscent of urban architecture of Berlin or
Vienna.