The Legend of Our Lady of Salto

place for a century's old legend...

There are many versions for this legend, but the best known is the one of a knight who, in a morning of fog, was chasing a deer (some versions say it was a hare) in the Sousa River’s Hell's Heights.

The deer - representing the Devil in disguised - was running towards the abyss, trying to fool the knight. His horse got scared and when the knight notice it was too late and they were already over the cliff at Sousa River’s Hell. The knight didn’t have time to stop and shout as a prayer, "Our Lady of Salto, save me."

That’s when Our Lady appears and the miracle happens as the floor became soft as wax, and the horse landed on the other side of the river, resulting on the marks made on the rock that even today it’s possible to see (although I think that you must, also, bring a little imagination). This became a century’s old legend and also the most important of the Sousa’s Valley region.

In honour and recognition to Our Lady, the knight thanked the miracle building a small chapel and a small image of the Lady of Salto (Salto = Jump) - the chapel is real ;-)