Sanctuary of Fátima

The Sanctuary of Fátima is a significant Catholic place of worship situated in the municipality of Ourém in Portugal. It is a revered site for Catholics and has been visited by several Popes including Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. The sanctuary is approximately 11 km from Ourém, 25 km from Leiria, 120 km from Lisbon, and 180 km from Porto. It is located about 300 meters above sea level on the limestone massif of Estremadura.

Historical Significance of the Sanctuary of Fátima

The Sanctuary of Fátima is built on the site where it is believed that Mary, the mother of Jesus, appeared to three young shepherds in 1917. This event has made the sanctuary a revered place of Marian worship. The tombs of the seers, Jacinta and Francisco Marto, who were beatified by John Paul II and canonized by Pope Francis, and Lucia, who died in 2005, are venerated on the sides of the main altar.

Architectural Features of the Sanctuary of Fátima

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary is a prominent feature of the Sanctuary of Fátima. It is built in a neo-baroque style and is preceded by a large square. The basilica stands in the center of a colonnade consisting of 200 columns. Above the main entrance portal rises a bell tower that is 65 meters high. The interior is decorated in a seventeenth-century style and has a single nave with side chapels topped by large galleries.