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FATIMA is one of the most important centres of pilgrimage in the Catholic world, a status deriving from the six Apparitions of the Virgin Mary . On May 13 1917, three peasant children from the village were tending their parents' flock when, in a flash of lightning, they were confronted with "a lady brighter than the sun" sitting in the branches of a tree. The vision returned on the thirteenth day of the next five months, culminating in the so-called Miracle of the Sun on October 13, when a swirling ball of fire cured lifelong illnesses. To commemorate these extraordinary events a vast white Basilica and gigantic esplanade have been built, more than capable of holding the crowds of 100,000 who congregate here for the main pilgrimages on May 12 & 13 and October 12 & 13. In the church the tombs of two of the children, who died in the European flu epidemic of 1919-20, are the subject of constant attention. Hospices and convents have sprung up in the shadow of the basilica, and inevitably the fame of Fatima has resulted in its commercialization. Pensions and restaurants abound, but there's little reason to stay except during the big pilgrimages to witness the midnight processions. Regular bus services to Fatima from Tomar make a day-trip easy.
Your Tip for Fatima
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