Fatima is a small town in Portugal located north of Lisbon.
It is a major Catholic pilgrimage site because of reported sightings
of the Virgin Mary in 1917 by three local shepherd children. The
terrain around the village is wild and barren; a stark contrast with
the fervent devotion of the millions of pilgrims that visit each
year, especially for the main festivals on May 13 and October 13.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima is one of most famous Marian
shrines in the world. Some four million people visit Fatima each
year, drawn by apparitions of the Virgin Mary reported by three
local shepherd children in 1917.
Barcelona,
the cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, is known for
its art and architecture. The fantastical Sagrada Família church and
other modernist landmarks designed by Antoni Gaudí dot the city.
Museu Picasso and Fundació Joan Miró feature modern art by their
namesakes. City history museum MUHBA, includes several Roman
archaeological sites.
Lourdes is a small town in the Hautes-Pyrénées département in
southwest France. It is the largest Catholic pilgrimage destination
in France and one of the most popular Catholic shrines in the world.
The small town of only 17,000 inhabitants receives more than 5
million pilgrims and tourists each year thanks to visions of the
Virgin Mary reported by a young girl named Bernadette in 1858. The
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes incorporates 52 hectares of
property and 22 places of worship, including a sacred grotto, two
basilicas, and a variety of buildings for pilgrims and the sick.
Outside the sanctuary, many pilgrims also visit the home of the
young visionary, St. Bernadette.
Lisbon
is Portugal’s hilly, coastal capital city. From imposing São Jorge
Castle, the view encompasses the old city’s pastel-colored
buildings, Tagus Estuary and Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge.
Nearby, the National Azulejo Museum displays 5 centuries of
decorative ceramic tiles. Just outside Lisbon is a string of
Atlantic beaches, from Cascais to Estoril. |