The name of the town and parish evolved from the Arabic name Fatima(Fāṭimah, Arabic: فاطمة ), the name of a Moorish princess and, originally, the name of the daughter of Muhammad, prophet of Islam.
The history of Fátima is associated with three children: Lúcia and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, who on 13 May 1917, while guarding their sheep in Cova da Iria, witnessed an apparition of a lady dressed in white. Cova da Iria is now the Chapel of Apparitions or Portuguese: Capela das Aparições.The lady, later referred to as Our Lady of the Rosary, indicated that she was sent by God with a message of prayer, repentance and consecrations. She visited the children each month on the 13th day from May 13 - October 13. The last apparition occurred on October 13, and was witnessed by 70,000 pilgrims, who saw the Miracle of the Sun. In addition, Our Lady of Fátima sent a message that consisted of three secrets: first, a vision of Hell where the souls of the sinful would travel without prayer; the second, prophesied the beginning of the Second World War; and ultimately, the mysterious third secret, which was written down by Lúcia dos Santos in 1944, and held by the Vatican, since 1957.
Lucia became a nun and as Sister Lúcia, she recounted three visits from an angel to her and her cousins. Between April and October in 1916 this angel invited them to pray and do penitence. The angel visited them twice in Loca do Cabeço and once by the well in Lúcia's garden. Jacinta died in 1919 and Francisco in 1920 from the Spanish fluEpidemic of 1918-1920, and were later beatified on 13 May 2000 by Pope John Paul II. Lucia lived until 2005.
In order to mark the location of the apparitions, a wooden arch with a cross was constructed in Cova da Iria. The faithful began to travel in pilgrimage to the site. On 6 August 1918, with donations from the public, a small chapel was begun, built from rock and limestone and covered in tile. With a width of 3.3 metres (11 ft) by 2.8 metres (9.2 ft) length, and 2.85 metres (9.4 ft) height, it began to become a center of Marian worship, receiving names such as a fé. Fátima, cidade da Paz (the faith of Fatima, City of Peace), or Terra de Milagres e Aparições (Land of Miracles and Apparitions).
The construction of the sanctuary brought local development to the region, which eventually allowed the town of Fátima to be elevated to the status of city on 12 July 1997. Actually, there was a movement in the parish, primarily from the economic sector, who desired that Fátima become its own municipality. But, the project, which was led by engineer Júlio Silva, ex-president of the Junta de Freguesia, was vetoed on July 2003 by Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio, resulting in disappointment among its residents.
Besides the religious sites, there's other sites in the area that are breath taking. The “Grutas de Miradire” natural caves are just one of the many other local attractions that will make your trip to the area worth while.
Fatima is about one hour and 15 minutes (by car) north of Lisbon and a must visit location on your trip to Portugal.
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