Sacred Places of Europe
Poems are written by fools like me, but only God can make a tree, when Joyce Kilmer wrote this poem, he was expressing his gratefulness towards nature's bounty in the shape of a tree. That is the reason why many sacred places have a garden, where one can go and meditate upon the beauties of nature and the serene power of its spirituality. Many sacred places all over Europe have beautifully landscaped and cherished gardens. The implication is "this place has been built from brick and mortar and stone, but the natural bounty of God’s gift can be better appreciated, by placing a garden within these walls." Many nunneries in Europe had gardens in which the nuns used to grow their own herbs for medical purposes. The recipes of these medical remedies are still used in many villages, where tradition and medicine still holds sway with herbal oils with a little bit of camphor still being used to relieve joint pain, etc.
One of the most sacred places in Poland is Czestochowa ( chen- sto -howah) which is known as the spiritual heart of the country. This place is of international importance, because 4.5 million pilgrims come to see the painting of Virgin Mary at Jasna Gorna. The importance of this pilgrimage site is equal to other sacred places in Europe is equal to the importance of Rome, Jerusalem, Fatima, Guadeloupe and Santiago in Europe. This miraculous icon of the mother and child was brought to the monastery in 1382 and there is a very mysterious story related with it. It was brought from Russia, but nobody knows when and where it was created. In the 14th century, raiders tried to destroy this icon by slashing across the face with swords. After they had left, the monks came back and repaired the icon perfectly. But the slashes could not be repaired at all. Researchers are still wondering about whether the slashes were repaired or a painting of the original was made.
Nevertheless, the scars on St Mary's face have become the rallying point for religious, aesthetic, and political perception. During the Second World War, the scars motive was employed to show the suffering of a nation under the boots of the tyrant and oppressor. This place is a world Heritage site, and its gardens are quite serene and attractive.
