The heights of Nazaré in Portugal are called Sitio. You are about 118 m above sea level. At the edge of the precipice is a small Chapel of which I suggest you read the legend from the site of Notre Dame de Nazaré.
Sitio of Our Lady of Nazaré
The statue of the Virgin which is well protected inside the chapel is said to have originated in Nazareth and was brought from Palestine by a monk Greek to a monastery in Spain.
The Virgin is protected by a grille and the niche is surrounded by blue earthenware tiles: the azulejos.
In the 8th century the King of Spain fled, he took refuge in the monastery, met there the monk who had brought back the statuette and together they reached Portugal, taking the statue with them.
Before dying, the monk Romano hid the statue in a promontory cave where it remained forgotten for four centuries.
Legend has it that in September 1182, one foggy morning, D. Fuas Roupinho, governor of the castle, was chasing a deer when suddenly the animal disappeared into the abyss. Faced with peril, the noble knight invoked the Virgin…and the horse stopped abruptly, saving the Knight's life.
In gratitude, the knight had the small chapel of Memory built, which stands on the edge of the precipice. During the works the statue was found. Venerated since that date, the statue gave its name to the place: Sitio de Notre Dame de Nazaré.
