Characterisation
County: Ourém
Area: 71.29 km²
Population: 11 788 inhab. (Census 2011)
Density: 144.5 inhabitants / km²
Patron: Our Lady of Pleasures
Main Economic Activities: Industry (mostly hotel industry), manufacturing industry (marble, wood), construction, commerce and services. As one of the major greeting cards of national tourism, Fatima receives more than four million visitors annually (pilgrimage and tourism);
Localities that belong to the Parish of Fatima:
The City of Fatima: Cova da Iria, Fatima, Moita Redonda, Aljustrel, Casa Velha, Moimento, Eira da Pedra.
Other localities of the Parish: Alveijar, Amoreira, Boleiros, Casal Farto, Casal de Santa Maria, Casalinho, Chã, Gaiola, Giesteira, Lomba, Lombo d´Égua, Lameira, Maxieira, Moitas, Montelo, Ortiga, Pederneira, Pedreira, Poço de Soudo, Ramila, Vale de Cavalos, Vale de Porto, Valinho de Fátima.
Fatima is a civil parish in the municipality of Ourem, located on the Estremenho Limestone Massif, on the flanks of the Serra de Aire, about 300 meters above sea level. The climate is characterised by heavy precipitation during the winter (average of 1,400 mm annually) and warm, dry summers.
The geology of the Aire and Candeeiros mountains gives rise to an arid landscape with rocky ground interspersed with limestone outcroppings.
where only the holm /Holly oak, the Portuguese oak, the arbutus, the sanguine or zanguinho, the fig tree and the olive tree can resist the adverse conditions that the Climate and territory present.
There are also areas of savannah, strips of land enclosed by walls of loose stone.
There are various other geological formations in this region including sinkholes, uvalas and polje ( the Minde-Mata Polje).
Its typically karst structure determines the existence of grottos, caves with stalactites and stalagmites, as well as lapiez fields.
The Parish of Fatima was founded in 1568, after its disaggregation from the Collegiate of Ourem. Until 1917, Fatima was an unknown village that was born in an open field, used for pasture and rain-fed agriculture. It became known worldwide for the Marian apparitions to the three shepherds (Lúcia, Francisco Marto and Jacinta Marto) which took place between the 13th of May and the 13th of October 1917. About a kilometer away from Fatima lies Aljustrel, the small village where the three little shepherds were born. To the west, near Aljustrel, is the Loca do Cabeço, a tiny cluster of rocks where, in 1916, the Angel appeared twice to the three shepherds.
Two kilometers west of Fatima, lies one of the many hollows called the Cova da Iria, the place where Our Lady appeared five times to the visionaries. In another small valley called Valinhos, between Aljustrel and Loca do Cabeço, is the place, where the Virgin also appeared once.
The construction of the Sanctuary of Fatima stimulated local development and the town of Fatima was elevated to the status of city on 12 July 1997.
In the recent past, numerous residents of the parish (primarily from the business sector) campaigned to have Fatima designated a municipality, independent of the municipality of Ourem. This project, led by Júlio Silva, engineer and ex-president of the Parish Council, was vetoed on July 2003 by the resident of the Republic Jorge Sampaio. At the time, this decision did not cause great discord on the part of the population.