The Sanctuary of Fátima annually welcomes hundred of thousands of pilgrims and tourists. Many come to participate in the celebrations that commemorate the apparitions of Our Lady to the three witness of Fátima. In the Fátima calendar, the dates May 13th (the first apparition) and October 13th mean a rise in the numbers visiting the Sanctuary – built on the site of the first apparition – and the places where the three children lived in Aljustrel, a village located around two kilometres away. In Aljustrel, there is a religious route tracing the spots where Lúcia de Jesus, aged 10, and cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, aged nine and seven respectively, declared they saw the Angel of Our Lady of Fátima. Between April and October 1916, the three children bore witness that they saw the Angel on three occasions with them being invited to join in prayer and penitence. In May 1917, the children were tending a small flock of sheep in Cova da Iria, within the parish of Fátima, in the council of Vila Nova de Ourém. Around mid-day, after saying the rosary as was their custom, they set about building a small construction out of loose stones on the spot where there now is the Basilica. Suddenly, they saw a brilliant light and above a small holm-oak tree (where the Chapel of the Apparitions now is) appeared a «Lady more brilliant than the Sun». The Lady told the three shepherds that much prayer was required and invited them to return to Cova da Iria at the same time on the 13th of each of the five following months. The children did just that and on the 13th of June, July, September and October, the Lady again appeared before them and talked to them. On 19th August, there was an apparition at Valinhos, some 500 metres from Aljustrel, as, on that 13th, the children had been taken by the Council Administrator to Vila Nova de Ourém. For the final apparition, on 13th October, around 70,000 people were in attendance, the Lady told them she was the «Lady of the Rosary» and that they were to build a chapel there in Her honour. After the apparition, all those observed the miracle, promised to the three children in July and September: the sun, resembling a silver disc, could be looked upon without difficulty. It then began rotating, taking the form of a wheel of fire, seeming to disappear into the earth. Later, in Spain, Lúcia, who joined the order of Saint Dorothy, experienced a further three visions of Our Lady (10th December 1925, 15th February 1926 and during the night of 13th to 14th June 1929). The vision called for the five first Saturdays to be devoted to the conversion of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This final request was part of the «Three Secrets of Fátima» – a set of revelations made to Lúcia by Our Lady. Lúcia later wrote to Pope Pius XIIth to inform him of what had been revealed to her. On 13th October 1930, the Bishop of Leiria gave the seal of church approval to the apparitions, officially authorising worship of Our Lady of Fátima, declaring it «Divine Providence». 13th May 2000, Pope John Paul II visited Fátima to beatify the witnesses Francisco and Jacinta Marto.

The three shepherd children to whom Our Lady appeared – Lúcia and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta – were born in the small village of Aljustrel, around 2 kms from the sanctuary of Fátima. The single-storey cottages formerly inhabited by the little shepherds are very similar in terms of architecture and simplicity and are open to the general public. The house inhabited by the brother and sister, Jacinta and Francisco was built in 1888 and is located around 200 m from the house of their cousin, Lúcia, built in 1885. The House-Museum of Aljustrel is located next to the latter, displaying agricultural implements, cooking utensils, clothes and furniture, in order to demonstrate the everyday lives of local mountain dwellers in the early 20th century.

Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória (or Monastery of Batalha) is one of the most fascinating places in the Iberian Peninsula. A decisive event for the consolidation of the Portuguese nation took place on August 14, 1385, near the spot where the Monastery of Batalha stands: D. João, Master of Avis and the future king of Portugal, overcame the Castilian armies in the battle of Aljubarrota. This victory put an end to a dynastic crisis that had dragged on since 1383, since the death of King Ferdinand, whose only daughter was married to the King of Castile, an aspirant to the throne of Portugal. D. João dedicated the monastery to the Virgin Mary, who he had invoked to intercede his triumph and donated it to the Dominican Order, to which his confessor belonged. This gave way to the birth of a work whose construction would last for almost two centuries and which resulted in one of the most fascinating Gothic monuments of the Iberian Peninsula. The construction of the monastery also embodied the consecration of King João I as king of Portugal, thus assuming itself as a symbol of the new dynasty and legitimised by divine will. Its architectural value and historical significance spurred the classification of the monument as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. The construction included seven reigns of the second dynasty (1385-1580) and involved a large team of master masons of a high level, both national and foreign, that were initially directed by Afonso Domingues, until his death, in 1402. During this period, part of the church and the royal cloister were erected. He was succeeded by Master Huguet, an Englishman, who by 1438 completed the church, built the chapel of the founder and began work on the pantheon of D. Duarte. Between 1448 and 1477, Fernão de Évora designed the cloister of D. Afonso V and, in the 16th century, Mateus Fernandes was responsible for the Unfinished Chapels. The monastery houses the most important nucleus of Portuguese medieval stained glass windows, which can be admired in the Chapel and the Chapter Hall. The central nave of the church stands at 32.5 metres and rests on eight columns on either side. In addition to the chapels and the cloisters, the monastery’s dormitory, dining room and kitchen can also be visited. The square outside was once largely occupied by the Cloister of D. João III. Burned down during the Napoleonic Wars, it was demolished during renovation works undertaken in the mid-nineteenth century. In the middle of the square you will see a tombstone that replicates the acronyms of several masons and marks the site of the old Santa Maria-a-Velha Church, the original temple where the monastery’s builders attended the liturgical services.

A typical fishing town, Nazaré is nowadays a busy summer resort, where side by side with the crowds of tourists, one still sees all over the streets of the town the fish-sellers, and the carapaus (horse mackerel) laid out to dry. The Sítio district, at the town’s highest point (accessible by a funicular), is without doubt the best viewpoint in the area. But it is also associated with the cult of Our Lady of Nazaré who, according to the 12th century legend, was invoked by the alcaide (commander of a fortress or castle) Dom Fuas Roupinho who, while stalking a deer, was about to fall down into an abyss with no possible salvation. As a sign of gratitude for the mercy he received, Dom Fuas Roupinho ordered a small chapel to be built – the Ermida de Memória. A little way away, in the 18th century the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazaré was built, in whose honour grandiose festivals are held in September. The Nazaré people’s connection with the sea is reflected in the local handicrafts, in particular the nets, buoys, baskets and traditional puppets dressed in the typical costumes of seven skirts, as well as in the cuisine, with its emphasis on fish and shellfish dishes, such as caldeiradas (fish caseroles), soups, açorda (purée of bread, herbs and garlic) and the dried horse mackerel. The most important feature of the surrounding area is the 7th century Chapel of São Gião, one of the rare holy places of the Visigoths existing in Portugal.

The delightful town of Óbidos, with white houses adorned with bougainvilleas and honeysuckle was captured from the Moors by the first king of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques, in 1148. D. Dinis later presented it to his wife, Queen Santa Isabel. From then until 1883, the town of Óbidos and the surrounding land was always the property of the queens of Portugal. Encircled by a ring of medieval walls and crowned by the Moorish castle rebuilt by D. Dinis, which is now a pousada, Óbidos is one of the most perfect examples of our medieval fortress. It s in olden times, the town is entered through the southern gate of Santa Maria, embellished with eighteenth-century azulejo decoration. Inside the walls, which at sunset take on a golden colouring, one can sense a cheerful medieval ambience of winding streets, old whitewashed houses bordered with blue or yellow, Manueline embrasures and windows, reminding us that King D. Manuel I (sixteenth century) carried out major works here, and masses of colourful flowers and plants. Be sure to visit the Igreja Matriz de Santa Maria (Parish Church of Santa Maria), the pretty Capela de São Martinho (Chapel of S. Martinho) and, outside the town walls, the Igreja do Senhor da Pedra (Church of the Senhor da Pedra). Among the events that take place every year in Óbidos, the most important are the Holy Week Festivities (recreating the steps on the Way of the Cross), the Ancient Music Festival in October and, for the more gluttinous, the International Chocolate festival in March, which includes an international competition in which the recipes are judged by an international jury of experts.