|
Quebec City (October 21, 2017) Debra and I were in Quebec City for a few days of sightseeing and other fun. This morning we visited the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, located northeast of the city along the St. Lawrence River.
The original chapel was constructed in the mid-17th century to honor Sainte Anne, the maternal grandmother of Jesus and patron saint of Quebec. It became a popular pilgrimage site when a construction worker with rheumatism was healed after he placed three stones at the chapel’s foundation. Enlarged several times over the years, the chapel was designated as a basilica in 1876. Destroyed by fire and rebuilt in the 1920s, it is the oldest pilgrimage site in North America. We loved the neo-Romanesque façade designed by Parisian architect Maxime Roisin. Two large, hand-made copper doors. Twin bell towers nearly 300-feet tall. Beautiful statuary of Sainte Anne, the 12 Apostles, and more. And the interior, built in a cross-shaped floor plan, took our breath away. Tall columns topped by broad arches. Stained-glass windows and tiled mosaics. A replica of Michelangelo’s The Pieta. For Debra and me, the beautiful Basilica was a ray of sunshine on a cold and rainy day! |
|