Cova da Iria was originally a field belonging to the family of
Lúcia dos Santos in Fátima, Portugal. Lúcia and
Francisco and Jacinta Marto were the three children who, according to the
Catholic Church, received several apparitions and heavenly messages from the
Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. The children frequently pastured their families' sheep on this land, and were responsible for their care. According to Sister Lúcia's memoirs written between 1935 and 1941, she and her cousins were at the Cova da Iria when they saw an apparition of a beautiful lady “made of light, holding a
rosary in her hand”. She seemed to stand just above a small
holm oak tree, and heard her tell them not to be afraid, adding “I come from Heaven”. Sister Lúcia wrote they saw her a total of six times, the last on October 13, 1917, when the
Miracle of the Sun allegedly occurred. The children heard her call herself “
Our Lady of the Rosary” telling them to pray the Rosary for the end of the
Great War. A small chapel or
Capelinha (later popularly called
Chapel of the Apparitions) was built at the spot in the 1920s, as people were already making
pilgrimages there. In October 1930, the
Bishop of Leiria,
Dom José Alves Correia da Silva approved the reported phenomena of Our Lady of Fátima, writing in a
pastoral letter “The visions of the children in the Cova da Iria are worthy of belief.” Since the
Holy See officially approved of the Fátima events and the messages given to the three shepherd children, the place has become a popular pilgrimage site. The chapel has been expanded, and nearby are two
minor basilicas in the
Sanctuary of Fátima complex that covers the Cova da Iria. Also on the grounds are luxurious hotels, convents, and some medical facilities. The Cova da Iria has thus become a key international hub for
religious tourism, receiving six to eight million
pilgrims by year. ==See also==