Fatima Portugal And Its Surprising History

Fatima, Portugal, a village in the littoral of the Beira region, was a poor, depressed rural area where the economy was one of mere survival. From this situation it was quickly converted into the centre of a great sanctuary of pilgrimage, one of the most important ones in all of Europe. All this is due to the appearance of the Virgin Mary or also referred to as the Marian apparitions and who is lovingly called Our Lady of Fatima.

Fatima A Place of Enormous History

The history of Our Lady of Fatima is surprising and sometimes thought of as frightening. In a place called the Cova de Iria ( Iria Cove ) on May 13th 1917, the Virgin Mary appeared near an oak tree in front of three young shepard children who lived in the village called Aljustrel. The Marian apparitions happened on the same day of each month during the next five months. Lucia de Jesus, a 10 year old girl, Francisco Marto, a 9 year old boy and his sister Jacinta Marto, 7, received a mysterious message from the Virgin Mary. This message said that the conversion of the Soviet Union to Catholicism could avoid a world war with devastating effects. In the following years, the political opening up of the Soviet union to the free market, the demolishing of the Berlin Wall and the return of the countries pertaining to the eastern Block to a parliamentary system were the events most commented on, all of which coincided with the wise advice of the Marian apparitions.

The name Fatima, of Arab origin, is a peculiar history relating to Fatima. The legend says that the founder of the parish was a Templar Knight who was in love with a young Muslim girl, having the same name as the daughter of the Prophet.

Believe it or not, Fatima is there

The first sanctuary which was erected in Fatima, Portugal after the Marian apparitions ( secret of fatima) was a chapel called Nossa Senhora ( Our Lady ), where a sculpted image of the Virgin was installed, according to the description of Lucia. A bomb destroyed this simple oratory in 1922, a that same year a new chapel was set in the place where the Marian apparitions really happened. Six years later, in 1928, the Basilica del Rosario was constructed. And since then, Fatima and its history has been transformed into sacred grounds for worship to Our Lady of Fatima. There are around 10 seminaries and more than 70 religious buildings belonging to different religious orders and institutions.

Pope John Paul II wanted to be present on May 13th, 2001, exactly 20 years after he had been shot by a Turkish terrorist. This pitiful event was the third secret of Fatima had revealed to the young shepards, having taken place on May 13th.

The Basilica del Rosario has colossal dimensions. It measures 69 x 30 metres with a central tower that rises 65 metres high. The square that opens up in front of the Basilica and the columns were done by different architects. Inside lay three shepards, two having died at a very early age and Lucia, who became a nun and has recently died. In this same square there is a marked path leading to a little chapel, and as penitence, is usually down knelt down, walking on your knees until you reach there.

There are a series of religious museums, each one telling this incredible miracle. Not too far away, heading towards Sintra outside of Lisbon, you come across Obidos, a walled in city, many times referred to as the silhouette of a ship. There is a curious temple of Barrocco style converted into the Sanctuary of Our Lord Jesus of the Stone where a very antiquated stone cross lies, with an etching representing a caveman like figure. This and the church of Saint John Baptist are also places of worship like the wonderful Our Lady of Fatima, Portugal.