Sanctuaire de la Vraie Croix d'Anjou

Come and discover Baugé’s greatest treasure, the True Cross of Anjou, in a brand-new setting! Step inside the Chapelle de la Girouardière, which has been refurbished to allow everyone to admire the relic of the True Cross. From its origins to the present day, discover its history, its connection to the history of the Congregation of the Daughters of the Heart of Mary, founded by Father René Bérault and Anne de la Girouardière in 1790, and its influence on our history: The Cross of Anjou and Lorraine, emblem of the Free French. In 1790, the Sisters of La Girouardière received a fragment of the True Cross of Christ. This relic, featuring a double crossbar, was brought back from the Crusades in the 13th century and entrusted to La Boissière Abbey in Denezé-sous-le-Lude, where a chapel was built to serve as its reliquary. It was subsequently entrusted to Louis I, Duke of Anjou, who decided to have it adorned with jewels. It became the emblem of Anjou, and then, in the 15th century, of Lorraine. During the French Revolution, the Cross was declared national property and put up for auction in Baugé. Anne de la Girouardière purchased it and made it the symbol of the community and of the Hospice des Incurables, which she had just founded. In the 20th century, General de Gaulle made this double-barred cross the symbol of the Free French. Today, the True Cross is still preserved and venerated at the Girouardière Chapel in Baugé. In 2026, the sanctuary was awarded its first star in the Michelin ‘Voyages et cultures’ guide.