There’s the regular Beaupré and then there’s Saint-Anne-de-Beaupré. If it sounds like this town is deeply religious, that’s because it is. Pilgrims arrive just before the saints feast on July 28 and have done so since the 1650s.
The iconic Basilica of Saint-Anne-de-Beaupré is the town’s centrepiece. Built during the 1920s, the ornate Romanesque and Gothic church features stained-glass windows and gold mosaic ceilings. I accidentally stumbled in during mass so I also got to hear the thunderous organ play hymns.
There are two smaller chapels across the street from the basilica. The Santa Scala Chapel was built in 1871 and is the older of the two. The interior has wall paintings of maps of the Middle East during biblical times. The 28-step staircase leading to the upper floor is supposed to replicate the 28 steps Jesus took to see Pontius Pilate, who later ordered the crucifixion of Christ.
The Memorial Church was built in 1878 with the exterior featuring components from the older church dating back to 1662. The interior was completed in 1881 with an altarpiece carved by Charles Vézina from the school of Saint-Joachim in 1700. The pulpit was bought by Father François Ranvoyzé from Thomas Baillargé, both of whom made church silver now scattered across cathedrals and museums in the province.
