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. Hope you enjoy it as I.
Passing by a back road around the basilica you can see the Pont er Groah, coming off the D102 road, a nice housing type windmills way back in the sanctuary that is actually an open air theater !! The open air theater in the Basilica de Sainte-Anne d’Auray shows a 2 hours huge spectacle with more than 200 actors and figures in costumes of the times with farm animals, carts, and carriages in the recontructed village of Ker Anna of the 17C recounting the apparitions of Sainte-Anne (the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus) to a humble Breton farmer Yvon Nicolazic. She is now the patron saint of Brittany, and the third biggest pilgrimage in France.
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.
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 Memorial of the Great War (WWI) was built from 1922 to 1932 by the five dioceses of Brittany to keep the memory of the 240 000 Bretons victims of WWI; The monument is of 52 meters high and 12 meters in diameter. With new conflicts that have grieving the country since 1932, a mausoleum has been placed in the center of the crypt, dedicated to all the dead of all wars. The symbolic tombs of the sailor and the missing infantryman, are guarded by Saint Michael, a patron Saint of France, and Saint Yves, a patron Saint of Brittany.
The Scala Sancta is in the Christian tradition, the staircase of the palace or Praetorium of Jerusalem climbed by Jesus Christ during his Passion (during his Judgment by Pontius Pilate) to reach the Praetorium of Pontius Pilate who decided on his crucifixion. Tradition has it that pilgrims climb its steps on their knees, praying and meditating on the Passion of the Lord. It is two staircases that meet in the middle, where stands out like a small chapel: that’s it! The object of the ritual is to climb the stairs on your knees as a sign of penance, reciting the Rosary or meditating on the mysteries of the Passion of Our Lord.
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.
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 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 it as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
Leave a Reply