Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Fátima
This village in central Portugal, named after
a Moorish princess, has become one of the
most notable pilgrimage sites in Catholic
Europe since a series of apparitions report-
edly occurred there in 1917. Three peasant
children stated that a “lady,” understood to
be the Blessed Virgin Mary, appeared to
them over a period of months asking that a
shrine be erected and prayers offered and
promising revelations about the future of
the world. When, in October 1917, a large
gathering of local people declared that they
had witnessed inexplicable movements of
the Sun, church authorities began a slow,
cautious investigation of these manifesta-
tions, culminating in a declaration that a
true divine apparition had taken place. In
1927 construction began on a basilica at the
site (not completed until 1953), and Fátima
became an increasingly important gather-
ing place for pilgrims seeking miracles. The
“revelations” by the Virgin were long kept
secret by the church. The first two are
believed to relate to the end of World War I
and the outbreak of World War II, and the
fall of communism, respectively. The third,
prophesying the assassination attempt
directed against Pope John Paul II in 1981,
was finally announced in 2000 during a
beatification ceremony for the children who
had received these “revelations” in 1917.
panied him to the Netherlands. By the time
of his uncle's death in 1578, Farnese, despite
his youth, had demonstrated his military
genius in a number of independent com-
mands and was designated as the new gov-
ernor general of the troubled region. He
succeeded his father as duke of Parma in
1586 but never returned to Italy. Having
demonstrated his diplomatic and political
skills by splitting the southern Netherlands
from their original support of the Dutch-
speaking Protestants of the north (1579),
Farnese carried on a series of brilliant cam-
paigns against the forces of the Dutch
Republic. Philip II fully appreciated his
kinsman's skills but never entirely trusted
him, an attitude that derived more from the
monarch's suspicious nature than from any
conduct by his subordinate. Farnese frankly
and wisely opposed several of Philip's
imprudent projects but loyally did his best
to carry them out. In 1588 he was prepared
to launch his troops in an invasion of
England during the A
RMADA
campaign. In
1590-91 he led his troops into France to
disrupt Henri de Bourbon's siege of Paris
and save Rouen, although he considered
Philip's stripping of the Netherlands for this
purpose to be militarily reckless. Returning
to repair the damage caused by the Dutch
during his excursion into France, Farnese
was fatally wounded in 1592.
Farnese was universally acknowledged
as one of the greatest generals of his era.
His military brilliance was matched by his
skill in the management of people and pol-
itics. It was Spain's misfortune that this
adopted son was denied the fulfillment of
his abilities by a sovereign who alternated
paranoid timidity in practical matters with
reckless grandiosity in the creation of inter-
national policy.
Federmann, Nikolaus
(1501-1542)
German explorer in the Spanish service
Born in Ulm, Germany, Federmann was
employed by the Augsburg banking house
of Welser, which had made large loans to
C
HARLES
I of Spain (Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V), in compensation received vast
land grants in what is now V
ENEZUELA
, and
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