On March 27, 1650, Étienne Racine received the first land grant to be settled and farmed here. The 1658 land register names about thirty early settlers, including Étienne de Lessard, Claude Poulin and Noël Racine.
The town at a glance
RCMLa Côte-de-Beaupré
Côte-de-Beaupré23 km east of Québec City
Life in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré
The vibe
A pilgrimage town on the river. It comes alive in summer and around July 26, the feast of Saint Anne, and has several restaurants and tourism businesses.
The housing
A mix of single-family homes, duplexes and small apartment buildings. In the 2021 census, nearly one household in two was renting.
Nearby
Mont-Sainte-Anne · Canyon Sainte-Anne · Île d’Orléans
Good to know
Boulevard Sainte-Anne (Route 138) takes you to Québec City in about thirty minutes. Pilgrims fill the area around the basilica in summer, especially around July 26.
Landmarks
- Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Basilica
- Boulevard Sainte-Anne
- Avenue Royale
History
The history of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré
- 1650First land grant, to Étienne Racine
- 1658First chapel dedicated to Saint Anne
- 1922Basilica destroyed by fire
- 1973Merger creates the present town
- 1984Visit of Pope John Paul II
In 1658, Étienne de Lessard gave land to build a chapel dedicated to Saint Anne. According to tradition, Breton sailors saved from a shipwreck wanted this shrine. The healing of a worker, Louis Guimont, during construction drew the first pilgrims, and a stone church was built in 1676.
A larger church was built starting in 1872, and the Redemptorists took charge of the shrine in 1877. The railway arrived in 1881 and made pilgrimages easier, and Pope Leo XIII gave the church the title of minor basilica. In 1895, the Cyclorama of Jerusalem, a huge panoramic painting, was set up in town.
A fire destroyed the basilica on March 29, 1922. The current neo-Romanesque building went up over the following decades and was consecrated in 1976. The present town was created in 1973 by merging the village municipality and the parish municipality. Pope John Paul II visited the shrine in 1984, and Pope Francis in 2022.
Frequently asked questions about Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré
Where is Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré?
On the Côte-de-Beaupré, about 23 km east of Québec City, facing Île d’Orléans. The town lies between Château-Richer and Beaupré, in the La Côte-de-Beaupré regional county municipality.
When is the feast of Saint Anne at the basilica?
On July 26. It is the largest gathering of the year at the shrine and the high point of a novena.
Where does the name Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré come from?
According to tradition, Breton sailors saved from a shipwreck founded a shrine to Saint Anne here. Beaupré refers to the seigneury of Beaupré, a name recorded since at least 1636.
How do I find an apartment for rent in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré?
Rental units managed by Lease Lane in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré will soon be listed on the site, along with the online rental application. In the meantime, Cléo can notify you as soon as a unit is posted.
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