Lisbon to Fátima tours

The oldest and most important monument inside the Sanctuary of Fatima, the Chapel of Apparitions is the place where the three little shepherds saw a vision of Mother Mary. Constructed in 1982, the chapel features an altar, a porch lined with pine wood, and a statue of Our Lady of the Rosary with a golden crown protected by bulletproof glass.

Constructed in 1928, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary was originally a church and is believed to be the exact spot where the three shepherds saw a lightning bolt in 1917. This 70.5 m long basilica is made of white limestone and features a 65m high bell tower, the tallest structure inside the sanctuary, as well as the tombs of brothers Francisco and Jacinta Marto.

Inaugurated in October 2007 on the 90th anniversary of the Apparitions of Fatima, the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity was constructed to accommodate a large number of pilgrims and devotees. Designed by Greek architect Alexandros Tombasiz, this basilica is circular and 35m high. It is known as the Minor Basilica of the sanctuary.

The classical build of the Colonnade of the Sanctuary of Fatima features 200 columns and half columns inspired by the famous curved colonnade at St. Peter’s Square. There are figures of 17 saints above the colonnade. The gallery also features a Via Crucis with 14 panels of the episodes from Passion of Jesus Christ made of Polychrome ceramics.

The Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity is surrounded by two squares, one of which is called the John Paul II Square inside which the High Cross and the statue of the Pope are located. Polish artist, Czeslaw Dzwigaj designed the bronze statue and also went on to create about 50 more sculptures and monuments to pay tribute to John Paul II.

Offered to the sanctuary by an anonymous pilgrim in the 1930s, the Monument of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a golden bronze statue of Jesus. It features a column, which was believed to contain water that could perform miracles. The location of this hydraulic structure corresponds to the “centrality of Jesus Christ” in the Message of Fatima.

Founded by D. Jose Alves Correia da Silva in 1955, the Museum of the Sanctuary of Fatima was built to preserve and exhibit the relics associated with the Apparitions of Fatima. The museum, as of today, hosts two permanent exhibitions, the Fatima Light and Peace and the House Museum of Aljustrel.

The sanctuary is home to a block of the famous Berlin Wall. The wide block is near one of the entrances to the Sanctuary of Fatima. Also known as the Iron Curtain, this fragment of the Berlin Wall was offered to the sanctuary by a Portuguese emigrant residing in Germany and has occupied a place of pride inside the complex ever since.

The only tree in the Cova da Iria to have survived to this day, the Large Holm Oak is 13.5 m high and over a century old. It is believed that the three shepherds saw the lightning bolt for the second time here in 1917. The Directorate-General for Forest Resources of Portugal classified Large Holm Oak as an example of public interest in 2007.