The city of Fatima (Portugal), was built by the Arabs. They also gave it its name, which changed several times due to certain historical events. But as a result, the city has the same name as at the time of its foundation (IX-X century) – Fatima.
General information
A small town of Fatima with a population of 12 thousand people, located near the capitals of the country (130 km). The settlement is part of the Santaren district of the Central Region of Portugal.
The city became famous and visited after the miraculous apparition of the Virgin Mary to three children. This event is recognized by the church as a true miracle. Every year on May 13, hundreds of thousands of Catholics come to Fatima, because the city is recognized as the spiritual center of Portugal.
The huge square can accommodate everyone who wants to worship Our Lady. Fatima Square is also a place for religious events, and the Basilica houses various religious orders.
History of the city
The settlement of Fatima became famous thanks to the miraculous appearance of Our Lady. The saint visited her three children – Lucia, her cousin Francisco, and her cousin Jacinta – six times between May 13 and October 13, 1917. In the religious world, these events were included in the list of the most significant.
The children said that the woman came to them in white clothes and always appeared above the oak tree. It gave off a light that dwarfed the sun’s radiance. Each time, the Mother of God called us to repent of our sins and pray. Rumors quickly spread in the spirit world, but the adults didn’t believe the children’s stories.
In the autumn of 1917, more than 75 thousand people gathered in Fatima (Portugal) to see the miracle. The Virgin Mary showed the crowd a miracle – with a simple wave of her hands, she stopped the rain and dispersed the clouds. The crowd bowed their knees, but the Virgin disappeared. This event has been preserved in history under the name “Dance of the Sun”. Very soon, the small town received the status of the most important shrine of Catholicism.
Interesting fact! The apparition of Our Lady of Fatima is officially recorded and approved by the Church. At the beginning of the last century, the construction of the Basilica began, which later became a place of pilgrimage. Here are the relics of all three eyewitnesses, who were the Virgin Mary Lucia, her cousin and cousin – Jacinta and Francisco.
On a note! Another major pilgrimage center in Portugal is Braga. For an overview of the city with photos, see here, and a detailed description of its attractions on this page.
The Three Revelations of Fatima
It is the three revelations or predictions of the Mother of God that attract the attention of pilgrims. In each part, terrible visions from the future were described.
In 1948, at the request of the Pope, Lucia recorded all three omens. The essence of the first two revelations is well known, but the meaning of the latter is still not fully deciphered.
During the first appearance, the Saint showed the children the gates of hell. At the same time, she asked people to pray to save their souls, otherwise a terrible war would come.
Also, the Virgin Mary warned that she would take two children with her. Very soon, in 1919, Lucia’s cousin and cousin died. After 70 years, the church recognized them as venerable, and the Pope made them blessed. Their sister Lucia became a nun and lived to be 98 years old. She died in early 2005, on the occasion of this event in Portugal declared mourning and suspended elections.
During the second appearance, Madonna spoke about the emergence of communism and the terrible bloodshed. She said that Russia needs to return to the church and faith, only in this way will the world remain calm, if this does not happen, troubles and wars will begin, entire nations will disappear.
In an omen, the Mother of God spoke of an unusual glow in the sky. On the night of late January 1938, a unique blood-red aurora borealis was recorded in different parts of Western Europe. Lucia recognized the unknown light predicted by the Virgin.
The third omen of the Virgin Mary has been kept secret for many years, with many rumors, speculations and riddles associated with it. The secret was made public in 2000 at the personal request of Lucia. As it turned out, the omen concerned an assassination attempt on the Pope. The Mother of God predicted an assassination attempt on the Pope, but the bishop is destined to survive, as he must save the world from communism.
Interesting fact! As described by eyewitnesses, the explosive bullet fired at Pope John Paul II, unexpectedly changed the trajectory and did not damage vital organs. Subsequently, the bishop granted a bullet to the Fatima temple. Today it is kept in the crown of the Virgin.
From the age of 18, Lucia wrote a diary about the apparition of the Mother of God at Fatima in Portugal. The recordings are known as the Fatima Message. In them, the nun spoke in detail about the prediction of the most terrible wars – the First and Second World Wars, about the persecution of the Jewish people. The recordings were sent to the Vatican, however, where they were classified, but in 1981 they were published.
What to see in Fatima
After the apparition of the Virgin Mary in the Portuguese city of Fatima is officially confirmed by the church, pilgrims from all over the world flock here every year.
At the beginning of the last century, a Basilica was built that can accommodate less than one thousand people. This was not enough, so the city authorities of Fatima decided to build a square capable of accommodating 200 thousand people. Later, the Church of the Apparition was built opposite the Basilica. Near it there are monuments to priests.
Every year, the city of Fatima receives pilgrims and believers who come from all over the world. At this time, the statue of the Virgin Mary is installed on the street, on the altar. The service continues all night.
If you are visiting a religious center, be sure to visit the sights of Fatima in Portugal.
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima
This is an amazing architectural complex built in the town of Fatima (Portugal)on the site where the Virgin Mary was.
The complex consists of:
- chapels;
- a colonnaded temple;
- Basilicas.
Undoubtedly, the Basilica is the main part of the complex. It was built in 1928 and is decorated in neo-Baroque style. It is in front of it that there is a square where services and sermons are held. Speakers are installed around the perimeter of the square so that the priest’s speech can be heard by everyone.
Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima Rosary
The construction of the shrine lasted 16 years, and in 1944 it was completed. After another 9 years, it was consecrated. It was on the site of the temple that the Madonna appeared to the children every month on the 13th. Since then, tourists and pilgrims come here every year on the 13th of May and October. In total, more than 4 million people come to the city every year. In front of the building there is a square that is 2 times the size of St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican. At the same time, it can easily accommodate 200 thousand people.
The Basilica’s windows are decorated with stained glass windows depicting the miraculous apparition of the Madonna. In the middle of the last century, an ancient organ was installed in the Basilica building.
The chapel of the church is named after the Apparition of the Virgin. It is decorated with a column made of marble, on which a statue of the Virgin Mary is installed.
Chapel of the Apparition of the Virgin Mary
On the territory of the sanctuary there are many chapels, in the central part, where the miraculous phenomenon occurred, there is a chapel of the Apparition of the Virgin Mary. There is a marble pillar near the chapel. The chapel is small, built in the spring of 1919 by the efforts of local residents. The first service was held in it in 1921, however, a year later the chapel was destroyed, and a year later it was restored.
Holy Trinity Basilica
It is one of the largest Catholic churches — designed for 9 thousand people. This is a relatively new attraction, its construction was completed in 2007.
The building has an unusual shape for a church – it is low, without domes and looks more like a gallery or exhibition center.
The consecration of the Holy Trinity Church was timed to coincide with the 90th anniversary of the miraculous apparition of the Mother of God.
The construction work was supervised by an architect of Greek origin. Parishioners and pilgrims donated funds for the construction. The facade and interior areas are decorated in the Byzantine style, in addition, the rooms of the attraction are decorated with paintings by famous masters. Perfectly preserved to this day mosaic, made by hand from tiles. There are 13 doors at the entrance to the Basilica, symbolizing the 13 people who attended the Last Supper. The walls are decorated with famous Bible quotes translated into 23 languages.
What to do during the pilgrimage
Pilgrims who come to Fatima to repent of their sins pass through the huge square on their knees. They go from the Basilica of the Virgin Mary to the new church. The sight is truly mesmerizing as thousands of worshippers crawl humbly on their knees across the square. Many people wrap a cloth around their knees, because they need to move on cement stones. Older people come here, and younger people help them by holding their hands.
Most often, people come here to ask for health and healing. You can do this in the following way. Near the temple sell wax products that imitate body parts. You need to buy a part of the body that needs healing and throw it in the melting furnace, which is located next to the temple.
A tip! After visiting the sanctuary, be sure to visit the Wax Museum. There are exhibits that tell about the history of the sanctuary.
The cost of an adult ticket is 6 euros, and a child ticket costs 3.5 euros. You can also take a walk in the olive grove, where you can relax. You can reach the grove in the following way: from the temple go to the center of the square, where there is a statue of the Virgin Mary, from it you need to turn left. Adjacent to the square is the main street of the city, named after Lucia’s cousin Francisco. On this street there are shops with religious products, souvenir shops, museums and hotels.
How to get to Fatima
1. Take the autobus on your own
Buses run from the Portuguese capital to Fatima, which takes just 1.5 hours.
- Departure point-Oriente station, from platforms 46-49.
- Buses run to Fatima several times a day — depending on the season, there can be from 3 to 10 buses. In just one day, there are 10 flights operated by Rede Expressos.
- The ticket price is 12.2 euros, and discounts are available for children and pensioners. You can buy a travel document on the company’s website (www.rede-expressos.pt) or directly at the train station at the ticket office.
2. With a guided tour
Another option is to purchase a sightseeing tour of the Golden Ring of Portugal. In addition to Fatima, tourists visit the monasteries of Alcobas and Battaglia, the fishing village of Nazare with huge waves and the small fortress town of Obidush. The cost of such a tour will cost at least 75 euros.
It is hard to imagine that ninety years ago no one knew about the city of Fatima (Portugal), and the settlement did not stand out on the map of the country. Large-scale changes took place in May 1917, and since then the history of the town has changed. Today it is a world-famous religious center of Catholicism.
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