The Legend of the Holy Cross

It is said that in the parish of Balazar there was a farmer who passed in the place of Calvary
every day with the oxen. However, this farmer was reputed to be bad for his animals and
whipped them continuously. One day, when he passed the place of Calvary, the oxen knelt
and thence they did not move. The owner, furious and with all his cruelty, beat them as much
as he could. It's no big deal.

Suddenly he looked at the side and on the earth was marked the shape of a cross, a dark color,
almost black. In seeing such a phenomenon, man redeemed himself and was never cruel to
his animals. In this place he had a chapel built so that everyone could admire what had
happened there. The place was known for the Holy Cross of Calvary.

This cross is meant to protect the weak and oppressed. Even now, many fishermen from Póvoa
de Varzim are going to get some of this land to throw it into the sea, to give them protection
against the weather.

The feast in honor of this cross takes place each two years on the first Sunday of July.