Lost in the foothills of the Serra de Aire Mountains, 100 kilometres north of Lisbon, within the Diocese of Leiria, is the village of Fatima. It is almost the geographical centre of Portugal, and surrounding it within a radius of about 25 kilometres are some of the most meaningful and symbolic monuments of Portuguese history. There is the castle built by King Alfonso I of Portugal, whose imposing ruins, high walls and strong beautiful turrets, rise above a 113 metre high hill in Leiria. The grandiose monastery of Batalha, with its spacious halls, splendid flying buttresses, pinnacles and tracery, is certainly the most beautiful jewel of medieval architecture in the country. There is the monastery-fortress of Tomar, the former general headquarters of the Portuguese Knights Templar and their successors, the Knights of the Order of Christ. Close by, enclosed within medieval walls, situated on a hill that dominates the vast plain, is the charming village of Ourem, with its narrow, uneven and steep streets, Gothic ruins and defensive walls of the feudal lord’s old castle. Finally, there is the great Cistercian abbey of Alcobaça, one of the largest in Europe, built in the austere and elegant Bernardine Gothic style. In its days of glory, it was the centre of religious fervour and culture, housing over a thousand monks.
Not very far from Fatima, towards the ocean, is the centuries-old pine forest of Leiria, planted by King Diniz at the height of the Middle Ages.
The prevailing landscape of the region is one of barren and rocky hills dotted with holm oak trees. Here and there can be found whitewashed dwellings shining in the sun and clusters of olive, oak and pine trees growing in the valleys.
This was the historic, pastoral and serene setting, chosen by the Mother of God. It was the place from which she would announce one of history’s gravest prophecies to the world: words from heaven, filled with warnings, mercy and hope.
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