La Croix du Pichon

Welcome to Notre-Dame-du-Marillais, a major pilgrimage site just a few kilometres from Saint-Florent-le-Vieil between Angers and Nantes.

At the confluence of the Èvre and Loire rivers, the Pichon Cross was built when the Èvre bridge was constructed around 1853. It stands on the site of the first chapel at Le Marillais. It was here that the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to Maurille, who had come to visit Saint-Florent, who himself had founded an abbey on the rocky promontory of Mont-Glonne.

The old chapel was replaced by a sanctuary of majestic proportions between 1890 and 1913. It is located a few metres further on in the direction of La Petite Cité de Cartère in Saint-Florent-le-Vieil. The 40-metre-high square tower was built after the First World War. Pilgrims still come here to venerate Notre-Dame l'Angevine.

There are also several evocations of the Vendée past, including the "Champ des Martyrs" stained glass window. The shrine is open all year round.

A pilgrim shop is open before and after the 11am mass on Sundays.