As I past by this wonderful Basilica of Sainte Anne d’Auray almost every day, and looking at my previous posts, realised left out some important personages which will try to tell you all now, Therefore, this is new text and using older pictures on Yves Nicolazic of the Basilica of Sainte Anne d’Auray. Hope you enjoy the post as I.
Yves Nicolazic was a Breton peasant who testified to having benefited from apparitions of Saint Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary, (and grandfather of Jesus ,and patron saint of Brittany) ,and who after unearthing a forgotten statue representing her in the field known as Bocenno is at the origin of the place of pilgrimage and the construction of the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-d’Auray. At the beginning of the 17C, Nicolazic was a peasant from Broërec , who spoke only Breton and could neither read nor write; he was a man simple and profound in spiritual life. Praying, helping others, charitable. It should be noted that Nicolazic and his wife Guillemette Leroux, an unexpected confidence and on January 18, 1628, he presented himself at the church of Pluneret, announcing to the rector that he was bringing a boy to be baptized. Two years later a girl named Jeanne was born, then another girl named Paterne, he lived in the village of Ker Anna, “village of Anne” in Breton, and their field of Bocenno according to an ancient tradition would have once contained a chapel dedicated to Saint Anne.
The miraculous visions and apparitions of Saint Anne to Yves Nicolazic appear at a time when the bishopric of Vannes was marked by a religious revival driven by the Counter-Reformation and by the mystical visions of other lay people such as Pierre Le Gouvello de Keriolet (see post ) or Armelle Nicolas, On July 25, 1624, the eve of Sainte-Anne, the Lady appears again in the evening on the road, says words to him to reassure him and leads him home, a torch in his hand , Then in the light, the mysterious Lady appears and she is talking to him: “Yvon Nicolazic, don’t be afraid. I am Anne, mother of Mary. Tell your rector that in the piece of land called the Bocenno, there was once, even before there was any village, a chapel dedicated in my name. It was the first in the whole country. It has been ruined for 924 years and 6 months. I want it to be rebuilt as soon as possible and for you to take care of it because God wants me to be honored there. When, on the night of March 7 to 8, 1625, Saint Anne appeared again, she recommended that Yvon take his brother-in-law Leroux and his neighbors with him: “Lead them with you to the place where this torch will lead you, you find the image of the statue, that will shelter you from the world, which will finally know the truth of what I have promised you”. A mysterious candle or according to another version a torch led them to his Bocenno field before sinking underground. A few moments later, the peasants unearthed at the foot of the torch an old statue of corroded olive wood, with however still traces of white and azure. However, it is unverifiable since the statue disappeared during the French revolution, of course, The cult of Saint Anne developed on the site of the discovery and a chapel was built there. The first official mass was celebrated, by decision of the Bishop of Vannes on July 26, 1625.Below his house sanctuary in town
From that day on, Yves Nicolazic becomes a builder. He directs the works, drives the voluntary cartages of stone or slate, the felling of wood, pays the contractors, and all this with wisdom and probity, he who can neither read, nor write, nor speak anything other than Breton. . The chapel built, he disappears, leaves the village of Keranna to leave all the room to Saint Anne and the countless pilgrims. He died in Sainte-Anne-d’Auray on May 13, 1645. Finally, in 1872 the first chapel built by Yves Nicolazic became too small to accommodate the crowd of pilgrims. It was built in the same field of Bocenno which was found the original statue of Sainte. Anne by Yves Nicolazic. Neo-Gothic combines the grace of the Renaissance, model houses the tombs of Yves Nicolazic , the man who saw Sainte. Anne . A bas-relief on a pillar of the choir, right, points out the spot where Yves Nicolazic and its neighbors, discovered the statue of Sainte Anne March 7, 1625. The cause for beatification was reconsidered following the pilgrimage made by Pope John Paul II to his shrine on September 20, 1996; A draft had already been prepared from 1935 to 1937, so a definitive file was officially deposited at the Vatican, at the end of the year 2000. Still pending,,,, Anyway today the Basilica of Sainte Anne pardon held between July 24-26 each year is the third biggest gathering of Catholics in France behind Lisieux and Lourdes. We have between half a million to one million pilgrims here!
The official Sanctuary of Sainte Anne d’Auray see Nicolazic: https://www.sainteanne-sanctuaire.com/default.asp?mode=histoire&id=609
The city of Sainte Anne d’Auray on the religious heritage : https://www.sainte-anne-auray.com/religieux/
The Bay of Quiberon local tourist office on Sanctuary of Sainte Anne d’Auray: https://www.baiedequiberon.co.uk/the-sanctuary-of-sainte-anne-d-auray
There you go folks, again, a day is needed to see this wonderful spot and very worth the detour for those traveling along the N24 or N165. It is worth it to understand the history of Brittany as well as France, and the beautiful architecture if not the religious fervor that it attracts. The story of Yves Nicolazic and the Basilica of Sainte Anne is worth the detour. Again, hope you enjoy the post as I
And remember, happy travels, good health,and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 