14 MAY 2017.DAY 8 : PART ONE FATIMA , PORTUGAL.
Places of attraction Fatima City.
Screen shot of map, above, gives limited information. On the other hand "Interactive Map" gives much
more information. For interactive map go here.
With this URL,Interactive map should open in a new window
To navigate through this map use the left vertical panel on the map :
1. The size of this map can be increased or decreased as with normal maps.
2. The panel gives contents of the map which are self explanatory.Placing the cursor on any item,say Plaza DeEspaña/Spain Square, in this panel will highlight Plaza De España in the interactive map.
3. Click on Plaza De España Spain Square in panel it will open an information window in the interactive map giving information about Plaza De España Spain Square.Photos about that place have been uploaded.These photos will will also show in the information window.To know about the captions and other details of photos, you will have to visit album for day 7.For this go here
4. Similar action can be repeated for information on all other places given on interactive map.
SANCTUARY OF FATIMA OR BASILICA OF OUR LADY OF ROSARY,FATIMA.
Sanctuary of our Lady Fatima.
1. The size of this map can be increased or decreased as with normal maps.
Sanctuary of our Lady Fatima.
Sanctuary of Our Lady Fatima.
Second only to Lourdes as Europe's major pilgrimage centre, the small town of Fatima with around 8,000 inhabitants, welcomes millions of devotees a year who come to pray at the site of a miraculous apparition of the Virgin Mary here in 1917.
Three shepherd children Jacinta and Lucia and Francisco Marto,had a vision of Mary, who supposedly reappeared on the 13th of each of six subsequent months calling for peace in the world.
On the day of the final apparition a crowd of over 70,000 people had gathered and claimed to witness the Miracle of the Sun, when illnesses and disabilities were cured among the onlookers. One of the children Lucia is said to have received "Three Secrets" from the Virgin.
A vast white Basilica and esplanade were completed in 1953 as a shrine for the ever growing numbers of pilgrims flocking to the town. The courtyard outside the basilica is double the size of the square in front of St. Peter's Church in Rome.
Fatima remains a strange mix of devotion and commercialism with shops selling a mind-boggling array of religious souvenirs to visitors.
Fatima is at its busiest during the major annual pilgrimages of May 12-13 and October 12-13.
Development is on-going at Fatima and many new museums and places of interest are being built in the town.
Just the day before we visited Fatima. Jacinta and Francisco Marto were solemnly canonised by Pope Francis at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, in Portugal on 13 May 2017, the first centennial of the first Apparition of Our Lady of Fatima. large umber of pilgrims who had come to witness were still in Fatima and during our visit there was very large crowd.
Three shepherd children Jacinta and Lucia and Francisco Marto,had a vision of Mary, who supposedly reappeared on the 13th of each of six subsequent months calling for peace in the world.
On the day of the final apparition a crowd of over 70,000 people had gathered and claimed to witness the Miracle of the Sun, when illnesses and disabilities were cured among the onlookers. One of the children Lucia is said to have received "Three Secrets" from the Virgin.
A vast white Basilica and esplanade were completed in 1953 as a shrine for the ever growing numbers of pilgrims flocking to the town. The courtyard outside the basilica is double the size of the square in front of St. Peter's Church in Rome.
Fatima remains a strange mix of devotion and commercialism with shops selling a mind-boggling array of religious souvenirs to visitors.
Fatima is at its busiest during the major annual pilgrimages of May 12-13 and October 12-13.
Development is on-going at Fatima and many new museums and places of interest are being built in the town.
Just the day before we visited Fatima. Jacinta and Francisco Marto were solemnly canonised by Pope Francis at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, in Portugal on 13 May 2017, the first centennial of the first Apparition of Our Lady of Fatima. large umber of pilgrims who had come to witness were still in Fatima and during our visit there was very large crowd.
Some photos of Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, However to see all the photos Fatima one has to go here :
Left Wing (As of face it) Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima.
Left Wing and Central portion Sanctuary of our lady of Fatima.
Right Wing Sanctuary of Our Lady Of Fatima.
Architecture is very similar to that of Basilica of St Peters of Vatican,Rome.
Golden Panels depicting events from the life of Christ.
There are about 12 such panels in the Sanctuary
Golden Panels depicting events from the life of Christ.
There are about 12 such panels in theSanctuary
MINOR BASILICA OF THE HOLY TRINITY,(FATIMA)
The austere, simple facade of the modernist Church and Minor Basilica of the Holy Trinity.(Courtesy wikipedia,Photo Dr.JabosKorom).
The main altar of the basilica with panel of gilded terracotta tiles, weathered cross and the Virgin Mary (Immaculate Heart of Mary) statue.
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima was consecrated in 1953.
As Fatima had became one of the major Pilgrim center of Christian world, with every passing year number of devotees kept increasing.
By 1973 it was being reported that for any major function the site was proving to be too small.Same year a pastoral program to include construction of a new large, covered assembly area, in order to handle the pilgrims was proposed.After a delay of almost 22 years, decision to construct a new church at the complex was proposed.
In 1997, the sanctuary organised an international design competition for proposals for the new church: the international jury selected the design of Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis on 19 December 1998. The work on the new church began in February 2004 and church was dedicated on 12 October 2007with sealing capacity of 9000 including 89 seats for differently challenged people.In 2009 it received out standing Structural Award by International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering.
Thereafter several artistic projects were added.
Artistic Projects and design of main altar simple yet grand and go will with all the other projects and the building,
Wall of the main altar has a huge layout of gilded terracotta tiles measuring 500 sq mtrs(5400 sq ft) depicting various scenes form the life of the christ.
Next is a suspended weathered steel cross . it is approximately 34 metres (112 ft) high and 17 metres (56 ft) wide,
Next is a suspended weathered steel cross . it is approximately 34 metres (112 ft) high and 17 metres (56 ft) wide,
Then there is a 3-metre (9.8 ft) image of Nossa Senhora de Fátima in Carrara marble was executed by Italian sculptor Benedetto Pietrogrande and installed in the interior of the church
Some more photos of Minor Basilica of the Holy Trinity. However to see all the photos Fatima one has to go here
After this visit we went to see the house of Lucia and Francisco Marto.lt has been preserved quite well .
In the neighbourhood of the house and for that matter throughout Fatima town, opportunity to citizens to open commercial ventures selling memorabilia , Nick and necks related to the legend .
House of Lucia and Francisco Marto
The Kitchen.
For more photos of house of Lucia and Francisco Marto,and to see all the photos Fatima one has to go here.
After this we set course for Lisbon around 1 PM.
Afternoon Lisbon visit covered in next blog : 14 May 2017,Day 8 : Part Two.
Afternoon Lisbon visit covered in next blog : 14 May 2017,Day 8 : Part Two.
