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The location of the Shrine of Fátima, at Cova da Iria, had until 1917 been an unknown place in the municipality of Ourém, in the parish of Fátima.
That year, a religious event changed its history and importance for ever, when three little shepherds, Jacinta, her brother Francisco and their cousin Lúcia, witnessed successive apparitions of Our Lady of the Rosary.
Initially looked at with suspicion by the Church, albeit cherished by the people, the phenomenon was not acknowledged by the Bishop of Leiria until 1930. From then onwards, the development of the village boomed, leading to Fátima being given town status, in 1977, and city status in 1997.
Shrine of Fatima is today a point of reference for the Catholic world. Millions of faithful visit the Shrine every year, drawn by the extraordinary story of faith of three young shepherds.
