Sanctuary of Fatima
The Sanctuary of Fatima is one of the most important Marian pilgrimage centres in the world, built at Cova da Iria where, in 1917, three shepherd children reported a series of apparitions of the Virgin Mary. The events, culminating in the so-called Miracle of the Sun witnessed by a large crowd in October 1917, transformed a quiet rural spot into a vast shrine that now draws millions of pilgrims each year, especially on the anniversaries of the apparitions in May and October.
The sanctuary is dominated by an immense esplanade, larger than St Peter's Square in Rome, flanked by the Neo-Baroque Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, which holds the tombs of the three visionaries, and the strikingly modern Basilica of the Holy Trinity completed in 2007. At its heart stands the Chapel of the Apparitions, marking the site of the visions, where pilgrims approach on their knees in acts of penance and devotion.
Approved by the Catholic Church and visited by successive popes, Fatima has become a global symbol of Marian devotion. Its candlelight processions and great open-air masses gather crowds of hundreds of thousands, making it the spiritual heart of Catholic Portugal.
- Annual visitors
- ≈ 6,000,000
- Location
- 39.6321, -8.6718
- Local time
- 23:36 (Europe/Lisbon)
🕘 Visiting hours
| Mon–Sun | 07:00–19:00 |
Sanctuary grounds and the Chapel of the Apparitions are open 24 hours daily and free; the basilicas are open approximately 07:00-19:00, shown here as the practical visiting window.
✨ Saints & blessed venerated here
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Saint Francisco Marto Saint
Shepherd child of the 1917 apparitions; canonized 2017. His tomb is in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary.
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Saint Jacinta Marto Saint
Youngest shepherd child of the 1917 apparitions; canonized 2017. Her tomb is in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary.
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Sister Lucia dos Santos Blessed
Third shepherd child and principal visionary; Servant of God with an open cause. Her tomb is in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary.
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Our Lady of Fatima Saint
Marian title of the 1917 apparitions; the venerated statue is enshrined in the Chapel of the Apparitions, the heart of the sanctuary.
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Saint John Paul II Saint
Made three pilgrimages here and is honored with a monument; placed the bullet from his 1981 assassination attempt in Our Lady's crown.
Care & donations
Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima
Donations and offerings support the sanctuary
Official website →The candle wall
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