CASA DO ADMINISTRATOR
CHILDREN AMONG CHILDREN
THE LITTLE SHEPHERDS OF FATIMA IN THE HOUSE OF THE
ADMINISTRATOR
“We are on the day of the 13th August of 1917”.
The mother church and the surrounding town squares occupy
the center of the commercial and social life of the county capital of Vila Nova
de Ourem. Along the streets are lined whitewashed buildings with limestones
stonework. In the 2 story buildings there are rows of windows (some sash
windows) ad wooden shutters.
Some houses have a commercial shop or workshop on the ground
floor (the butcher shop, the seamstress, the tailor, the grocery store, the
shop of cloths, the mechanics shop, the seamstress, the tailor, the grocery
store, the shop of cloths, the mechanics workshop, the tavern, the barber, the cobbler…..)Customers
live in the town, but also come from the villages for supplies especially on
Thursday, weekly market day.
The town square Largo da Loica is one of the most dynamic
places in the village. It is a market place. Here many businesses and organizations
were located. Others are to come! One day, in this place, the Republic Center,
the printing company and the newsroom of “The Voice of Ourem”, the tinsmith’s
workshop of Artur de Olivera Santos, will be remembered .Later, the shop Rito
& Nogueira, the shoemaker Luiz da Balbina’s workshop, the establishment of
Manuel Joaquim Ribeio with billiard and other games, after Piedade Vicente with
pottery; Jose Cachola and the hater Joaquim Lourenco. A few metres below is
located the Hospital of St Agostinho.
The House of the Administrator is facing the town square
Largo da Loica. It has 2 floors, white washed walls and a long porch where the
children play. Here lives Arturde Oliveira
Santos ( the Administrator) with his wife and their 6 children ( Franquelim,
Democracia , Victor Hugo, Jaures,
Henrique e Afonso). Viriato and Lusa are to be born later on.
Until the 15th of August, Lucia, Francisco and
Jacinta, who witnessed the apparitions of Our Lady, are lodged in Artur’s
house.While Idalina prepares the meal.Artur is involved with his paperwork.
There, the 3 children of Aljustrel play with Artur’s children and with other
children from the town.
Years later, the “watermelon picture” will freeze the image
of a family meal”.
Source : Lxe, Manuel Eladio, As duas faces de Fatima,
Editrial Imperio, Lisboa, 1987
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