Fátima 1917 — The Three Secrets

Your journey within the Fátima Sanctuary begins at the Capela das Aparições, built in 1919. It is here, on the exact spot of the first apparition of Our Lady on May 13, 1917, that you will confront history. The small holm oak under which the three shepherd children, Lúcia dos Santos, Francisco, and Jacinta Marto, saw the Virgin, was cut down by the crowd in 1922. Today, pilgrims light candles there, perpetuating the devotion of this central site of Marian pilgrimage.

Continue to the Basílica de Nossa Senhora do Rosário de Fátima, a Neo-Baroque edifice erected between 1928 and 1953. With its 65-meter high towers and a facade adorned with 72 angels, this basilica can accommodate up to 10,000 people. Inside, discover the tombs of the seers Francisco (1908-1919) and Jacinta (1910-1920) Marto, who have rested there since 1951 and 2006. This 65-meter long monument is an architectural testament to the impact of the 1917 apparitions on the city of Fátima and the Central region.

Your itinerary then leads you to Valinhos, 400 meters from the village of Aljustrel. It was here that the 4th Marian apparition took place on August 19, 1917, after the children's imprisonment. Commemorative monuments also mark the 1st and 3rd apparitions of the Angel of Peace in 1916. The Way of the Cross (Via Sacra), connecting the Sanctuary to Valinhos with its 14 chapels, is a path of contemplation that allows you to understand the scale of the pilgrimage site and the history of Fátima.

Visit Casa de Lúcia in Aljustrel, the birthplace of Lúcia dos Santos (1907-2005), restored as a museum. Located 2 km from the Sanctuary, this modest dwelling is a key point to understand the lives of the seers. Its gardens house a monument dedicated to the 2nd apparition of the Angel of Peace in 1916. This is also where the Via Sacra from the Sanctuary ends, offering an intimate perspective on the history of these crucial events for Fátima's religious heritage.

Conclude your exploration at the Basílica da Santíssima Trindade, a modern church inaugurated in 2007 and designed by the Greek architect Alexandros N. Tombazis. Located on the Esplanade of the Sanctuary, in immediate proximity to the Capela das Aparições, it is one of the largest Catholic churches in the world, capable of accommodating 9,000 seated people and 25,000 standing over 35,500 m². This vast space, site of the 'Miracle of the Sun' on October 13, 1917, observed by 30,000 to 100,000 people, is the culmination of your interactive visit to Fátima, revealing the power and global reach of these apparitions.