The Madonna of Fatima, depicted in this sculpture from Val Gardena, evokes the Marian apparitions that took place in 1917 in Cova da Iria, Fatima, Portugal. Three young shepherds – Lucia dos Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto – witnessed six apparitions of the Virgin Mary between May and October. The Madonna, presenting herself as the "Lady of the Rosary", invited prayer, penance and conversion for world peace and the end of the war. She revealed three "secrets", prophecies concerning future events and an appeal for the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart. The message of Fatima is a universal call to faith, hope and love, and the veneration of the Madonna of Fatima is an act of devotion that celebrates her intercession and her role as mother and spiritual guide.