Architecture

This building is in Romanesque Revival style and built in the shape of a cross.

The Basilica is approximately 100 metres high, from the floor to the top of the bell towers. It is about 60 metres wide at the transept crossing and 50 metres at the façade. The building extends about 100 metres in length.

Sculptures

The tympanum: St. Anne in her glory! At her feet and on either side is a long frieze showing important moments in the history of this, our devotion.

Just above the tympanum, the Angel of the Pilgrim watches over the faithful who come to visit Saint Anne each year. Above,  the 12 Apostles surround the large rose window.

Finally, several statues decorate the façade including Mary, Joseph, Joachim, John the Baptist, Bishop François de Laval and Mary of the Incarnation, all masterpieces of the Quebec sculptor, Émile Brunet.

Copper doors by the sculptor, Albert Gilles

The main doors of the Basilica are hand-made of copper and they present many scenes of the life of Jesus. This exceptional work of art created by the artist Albert Gilles was originally hanging on the doors of the St. Joseph Church in Quebec City in the 1950’s. The three double doors alone represent 12 months of laborious work. After the closing of this church in 2003, Albert Gille’s masterpiece was given a second chance at life when it was transferred to the Saint Anne de Beaupré Basilica the same year, to the great benefit of pilgrims and visitors.

Statue from the first Basilica

At the peak, between the two bell towers, you can find the statue of Saint Anne which was saved from the destructive fire of the first Basilica in 1922.

Discover your sacred history

To enter a Basilica is to enter a sacred place where an atmosphere of peace reigns. It’s the House of God. Let us discover this place, whose decoration is like a great history book, a sacred history, our history.