Land of greenery not far from the Gulf of Morbihan, Sainte-Anne-d'Auray will enchant you with its calm, its diversity, its historical heritage.
The story of Sainte-Anne-d'Auray is linked to the Christian religion.
Sainte-Anne-d'Auray (or in Breton Santez-Anna-Wened) is the main place of pilgrimage in Brittany. People have been coming there since 1625, to commemorate the appearance of Saint Anne, maternal grandmother of Jesus Christ, to Yves Nicolazic.
On July 26, 1914, shortly before the declaration of war, Pope Pius X declared Saint Anne patron saint of Brittany.
Every summer, on July 26, a pilgrimage takes place there: the forgiveness of Saint Anne.
There is an average of 500,000 visitors per year to Sainte-Anne-d'Auray.
In 1996, the arrival of Pope John Paul II contributed a little more to the international influence of the pilgrimage, thanks to the gathering of 500,000 people. A relic of the Pope beatified and then canonized in 2011 is kept in the basilica. A hall of the sanctuary bears his name. The John Paul II space was built in memory of the Pope's visit.
Today Sainte-Anne-d'Auray is one of the main places of pilgrimage in France, the first in Brittany.
The site is also a stopover town on the road to Saint-Jacques de Compostelle. As such, a refuge is made available to pilgrims on their way to St-Jacques.
Since January 2009, the sanctuary of Sainte-Anne-d'Auray is also part of the association of Sanctuary Cities of France.
Sainte-Anne-d'Auray lists various monuments, essential sites for your visit to the territory:
The cloister is the oldest monument in the sanctuary. It was built in the 17th century by the Carmelite fathers who took care of the pilgrimages to the death of Yves Nicolazic.
In 1865, the basilica replaced the small 17th century chapel built by Yvon Nicolazic. Indeed, too small, it could no longer accommodate the crowd of pilgrims making themselves increasingly numerous on pilgrimage to Sainte-Anne-d'Auray. This imposing basilica has a bell tower which rises to 75 m high.
La Scala sancta, otherwise known as the "holy staircase", was originally placed in front of the chapel, on the current square. During large gatherings, Mass was then celebrated from the altar placed there. During the construction of the basilica, this monument was moved stone by stone and rebuilt identically.
The Memorial, the most recent monument, was built from 1922 in memory of the Breton victims of the 1st World War. During the pardon of July 26, Mass is celebrated from his altar. Today, this monument is dedicated to all the dead of all wars.
The John Paul II space was created following the arrival of the Pope in 1996. It is made up of paving stones engraved with the initials of buyers who came to attend the event.
All these monuments are accessible during the opening hours of the sanctuary, from 8 am to 7 pm.
Yves Nicolazic's house is located 300 m from the sanctuary, rue de Vannes. House burned down in 1903 and rebuilt identically (except thatched roof) in 1967, you can discover Breton furniture. Free entrance. Open every day in the summer season.
Treasure and faces of Saint Anne are two redeveloped spaces. The treasure includes ex-votos offered in gratitude to Saint Anne, and the gallery presents art objects illustrating the rich personality of Saint Anne, grandmother of Jesus and patron of the Bretons.
For more information on Sainte-Anne-d'Auray and the country of Auray in general, you can contact the Tourist Office on +33 2 97 24 09 75.