atualmente o Santuário. As maiores manifestações dos devotos ocorreram
a 13 de Maio (onde se destacam a Procissão das Velas, no dia 12 à noite,
e a Procissão do Adeus, no dia 13, que encerra as celebrações) e a 13 de
Outubro. No entanto, entre estas duas datas, todos os dias 13 são de devoção.
Of ancient origins, it was the Arab rule that marked the development of the place and
gave it its name. According to legend, during the Christian Reconquest, the Templar
knight Gonçalo Henriques, known as Traga-Mouros, fell in love with Fátima, a
Moorish captive during an ambush. Reciprocating the love, the young woman converted
to Christianity, taking the name Oureana.
In the 16th century, the locality was elevated to a parish of the collegiate church of Ourém,
thus becoming part of the Diocese of Leiria.
The locality developed significantly following the event of the Apparitions of Fátima at the
beginning of the 20th century, transforming into one of the largest centers of Marian
devotion in Portugal, recognized worldwide by the Catholic Church.
The first apparition took place in 1917, at the site of Cova da Iria, where the Sanctuary
now stands. The largest gatherings of devotees occurred on May 13 (highlighted by
the Candlelight Procession on the night of the 12th and the Farewell Procession on the
13th, which closes the celebrations) and on the 13th of are devotional