Spiritual therapeutic landscapes and healing: A case study of St. Anne de Beaupre, Quebec, Canada

Very little work has addressed spirituality in relation to health and well-being using the therapeutic landscape framework. Certainly the larger geographical literature, and specifically that of cultural geography, has identified the spiritual aspects of landscapes/places, and in so doing, has highlighted their importance for both secular groups and broader society alike. The increased recognition of the positive relationship between being spiritually active and health begs the examination of spiritual places reputed for their healing and healthful qualities. This paper provides a case study, conducted in 2006–2007, of a Christian pilgrimage site named St. Anne de Beaupre (Quebec, Canada); the analysis contributes to filling the spirituality gap in the therapeutic landscapes literature and offers a number of suggested research directions to better understand spiritual landscapes/places and their association with health.