We passed again by Sainte Anne d’Auray often , many times in the week, this is where the Basilica of Sainte Anne (see posts) is located,in my beautiful Morbihan, and my lovely Bretagne and of course my belle France. I have written before of the whole complex but this one always attracted my attention and would like to tell you again with new pictures. By the way, the town is only 10 km from my house. Let me tell you again on curiosities of Sainte Anne d’Auray !!! Hope you enjoy it as I.
The Basilica of Sainte Anne is a wonderful religious complex with monuments all over the park, Especially unique is the area where Pope John Paul II visited in 1996. You will find the monument plaque to Pope John Paul II visit in September 26 1996. It is made exactly 16,129 blocks offered by the pilgrims. It is surrounded by 12 granite columns, recalling that these are the twelve bishops of the twelve dioceses of the ecclesiastical region of western France who invited the Pope to come to this region: Angers, Bayeux, Coutances, Laval, Le Mans, Luzon, Nantes, Quimper, Rennes, St. Brieuc, Sees, Vannes. There is a figure stele bearing the image of John Paul II. A graph is drawn on the tiles. It represents a globe, a cross, a fish: the globe is the whole world to which Christ came to bring the good news, the cross, which crosses the earth, reminds us that it is in his blood that Christ saved the world, the fish takes us back to the early days of the Church, it is the sign of recognition of the first Christians, .A large Crucifix with a truly impressive carving of Christ. Beyond the espace John Paul II.
Sainte Anne d’Auray is the main pilgrimage site of Brittany. It has been like this since 1625,when the faithful came to commemorate the apparition of Saint Anne, mother of Mary , and maternal grandmother of Jesus Christ, to local farmer Yves Nicolazic (his native house preserved). Every summer, on 24-26 July, a pilgrimage takes place: The pardon of Sainte Anne , is famous for its Catholic pilgrimage in honor of Sainte Anne. Pope John Paul II came on a pilgrimage on September 20, 1996 , first visit of a Pope in Brittany.
You see the baptismal miracle fountain , the place of the first prayer and statue of Sainte Anne right coming straight to the Basilica. By choosing the fountain as a place of its first appearance, Sainte. Anne reminds us of the importance of the source of water, but above the water of baptism: as water is essential to our lives, baptism is essential to grow in faith. The water of baptism makes us children of God and Sainte. Anne, by appearing at the fountain, invites us to return to our baptismal promises. The statue in front of Basilica of Sainte Anne looking over a fountain is the only one representing Mary showing her mother (Ste Anne) . The others show her showing the heavens as was the mision “Sainte Anne, Mère de Marie, conduis-nous vers Jésus”. or Saint Anne, mother of Mary, guide us towards Jesus.
The granite statue of St. Anne and Mary, both crowned. The monumental statue with Anne is having Mary read the Bible.
A steele or stone calvary in memory of all sailors right along the wall of the memorial of the Great War. And ,there is a statue call Sainte Anne et les marins in memory of mariners or fisherman who have a strong devotion to the sainte. The
statue with the child enfant Jesus weights 12.50 ton, and high of 5.64 meters, done with 3 blocks of granite stone from Kersanton is magnificent.
The Saint-Joachim’s Oratory is a place for perpetual prayers, it is next to the basilica and attach to the bathrooms, a small pretty space of prayers that is open 24 hrs 7/7.
The nécropole nationale de Sainte-Anne-d’Auray is a French military cemetery there are graves of fallen soldiers during the war of 1870, WWI, WWII and the War of Indochina. The necropolis was created in 1959. In 1960-1961, the bodies of soldiers killed during WWII exhumed from the military squares of the communal cemeteries of Brittany, Poitou and the Pays de la Loire were buried in this necropolis. In 1983-1984, it was the remains of soldiers who died during WWI exhumed from the military squares of the communal cemeteries of Brittany, which were grouped together with the bodies of Belgian soldiers who died during WWI and previously buried in Brittany, Pays de la Loire and Normandy. In 1988, the remains of Belgian soldiers buried during the war of 1914-1918 in Haute-Garonne and Hautes-Pyrénées were transferred to this necropolis as well. With an area of 1.7 hectares, the national Necropolis has 2 106 burials of soldiers who died in hospitals in western France of injuries or illnesses contracted during the wars of 1870, 1914-1918 and 1939-1945. It is the only national necropolis located in Brittany. The ossuary is located under a menhir dedicated to the fallen of all wars.
The routes of memory site on the nécropole nationale de Sainte-Anne-d’Auray: https://www.cheminsdememoire.gouv.fr/fr/la-necropole-nationale-de-sainte-anne-dauray
The Musée de cire, l’Historial or the wax museum, the Historial; This museum traces, through various scenes, the origins of the Pilgrimage, the life of Yves Nicolazic, the apparitions of St. Anne, mother of Mary, and her miracles, the origin of the Great Breton Pilgrimage. The last scene, carried out by the Musée Grévin de Paris, presents the pope surrounded by 5 Breton children, winking at the visit of John Paul II to Sainte Anne d’Auray on September 20 1996. It is a total reconstruction of the origins of the pilgrimage, etc, under the reign of king Louis XIII. I passed by it almost every day but not been inside yet, goes without saying. The official Musée de cire, l’Historial : http://www.musee-de-cire.com/
Sainte Anne according to the Bible is the mother of Mary, grandmother of Jesus; as well as the Patron Saint of Bretagne! , where it is known as the grandmother! Pope John Paul II came here and he is remembered with a plaque. The Memorial to the fallen of Brittany in the WW is here too. As well as many statues and fountain of the Saint all over a beautiful park including a wonderful inspiring stair of prayer where folks climb to pray even on their knees!!! The story here is long, so try to make it shorter. A farm worker named , Yvon Nicolazic ,heard voices in breton language that told him “Me zo Anna mamm Mari” or in French «Je suis la mère de Marie”, which means I am the mother of Mary. This was July 25 1624, the eve of the feast of Sainte Anne. On March 7 after the call, the farm worker discover in his field in the area of Bocenno, a statue of Sainte Anne that came from an old chapel then in ruins. This event prove the authenticity of the apparitions. More than 400 years later pilgrimages happenned here, with thousands of folks
The official Sanctuary of Sainte Anne: http://www.sainteanne-sanctuaire.com/?langue=en
The city of Sainte Anne d’Auray on the religious heritage : https://www.sainte-anne-auray.com/religieux/
The official Yvon Nicolazic home on the episode of miracle of lights on him seeing the apparition of Sainte Anne done at Pont er Groah theater : https://www.yvonnicolazic.fr/histoire/
The local Bay of Quiberon tourist office on Sainte Anne d’Auray :https://www.baiedequiberon.co.uk/sainte-anne-dauray
There you go folks, a dandy revered spot near me in spiritually imposing Sainte Anne d’Auray. The place is worth the detour if not for the religion for the history and architecture of my beautiful Morbihan ; it sits in a nice wooded area, to right along the main road D17/19 to Vannes and from my Pluvigner, Indeed Sainte Anne d’Auray is awesome, me think. Again, hope you enjoy this post on curiosities of Sainte Anne d’Auray !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 