Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima is among the most visited Catholic shrines in the world, and the number of people who walk onto its great open esplanade each year runs into millions. It stands on a plain called the Cova da Iria, outside the town of Fátima in central Portugal, and its fame rests on the events of 1917. Between May and October of that year, three shepherd children, Lúcia dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, said that they saw the Virgin Mary on the 13th of each month, and on 13 October, in front of a crowd of tens of thousands, many reported a strange phenomenon in the sun, which later became known as the Miracle of the Sun.

The core of the sanctuary is the Chapel of the Apparitions, a small open chapel built in 1919 on the spot where the Virgin is said to have appeared above a holm oak. It is simple and unadorned, with a statue of Our Lady in a niche and a roof that shelters the praying pilgrims. Close by, a candle area allows visitors to burn wax candles, and the flames, often in huge numbers, send up smoke from a long trough. Many pilgrims approach the chapel on their knees along a marked path in an act of penance or thanksgiving.

At the north end of the esplanade stands the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, built between 1928 and 1953 in a neo-Baroque style, with a colonnade that curves out on both sides, a high bell tower about 65 metres tall, topped by a bronze crown and a cross. Inside, the three children are buried: Francisco and Jacinta in side chapels, and Lúcia, who became a Carmelite nun and died in 2005, near them. At the opposite end of the esplanade, facing the basilica, the modern Basilica of the Holy Trinity, a vast circular church opened in 2007, provides space for the huge crowds.

The sanctuary reaches its peak on the anniversaries. On the 12th and 13th of May and October, hundreds of thousands arrive, many on foot over days from all over Portugal, and the evenings feature a candlelight procession with the Rosary in several languages and white handkerchiefs waved at the moment of farewell. Several popes have visited, including John Paul II, who came three times, and Francis, who canonised Francisco and Jacinta in 2017.

Visiting is free, and the sanctuary is open all day. Dress modestly, with covered shoulders and knees, and keep quiet in the chapels. Outside the major dates, the atmosphere is calm and contemplative. Allow half a day and combine it with Aljustrel, the shepherds' village, and the Via Sacra. Comfortable shoes are needed, as the esplanade is large and shade is scarce. The sanctuary suits pilgrims and curious visitors.