There is one place off the beaten track that leads to the most popular destinations north of Lisbon. It’s called Ourém and it’s like a little Óbidos, in the sense that it also preserves a millennium of Portuguese history. It’s perched on a hill and has a castle that used to guard against foreign threats when the country still didn’t reach the Algarve. It’s essential to get to know Ourém on an exclusive trip and then go on to a place very close by, but much more famous and intense in its own way. It’s called Fátima.
From Lent to Advent, and especially every 13th day between May and October, Fátima has been a spiritually powerful territory ever since, in 1917, three little shepherds claimed to have had an encounter with the Virgin Mary. The huge sanctuary that was later built in this mythical place expanded beyond the Catholic faith. It is a truly ecumenical space, even for the most down-to-earth.
What we want to say to you is: join us on a sensitive journey that culminates in the amazing Candlelight Procession. It takes place every night. The vast courtyard of the shrine is filled with people, almost all holding a lit candle. The absolute silence, except for the delicate words of the priests and the chants, is impressive. Portugal was founded under the auspices of spirituality – and neighbouring Ourém also has a lot of it, as you’ll discover –, and it lives on throughout the year in the sensations of Fátima.
