Basilique Notre-Dame-du-Chêne

Vion

The shrine of Notre-Dame-du-Chêne takes its name from an oak tree in whose hollow, according to local tradition, a statue of the Virgin was discovered, prompting the building of a first pilgrimage chapel on the very spot of the find. This kind of foundation "at the oak" is a recurring motif among the Marian shrines of western France. Having become over the centuries the principal centre of Marian pilgrimage in the diocese of Le Mans, the basilica still welcomes a crowd of pilgrims every year, notably during the Marian feasts of September.

Getting there : Active Marian pilgrimage site; now regarded as the most important pilgrimage in the diocese of Le Mans

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound