There by mid-March, no ´ a fifth of the parish of Monquim, municipality of Famalicão, desmorou a flight d ´ a support wall, d ´ about nine to 10 metres wide and five to seven high, dragging in collapse, rocks, trees and a large tract of land, which flooded in a straight line, some three beds, n ´ an extension of 100 meters , approximately.

It was for one night serena and clean, no previous signs making predicting the collapse, and causing mainly surprise the fact that stand, as if there was been planted, the twenty-one metres away, a large Apple tree, who was on the ground overlooking the wall collapsed. The stones lined across the length of the collapse, as d a landfill for a ´ road, and on the inclined plane of subsoto clay, in the direction where the Apple tree, a good and abundant sprang, days have elapsed.

Later, while working in the excavation, a woman of the field found, buried, a small copper crucifix, found that other people have seen.

Plenty of elements to form a legend to revive traditions, which soon were unearthed. Quinta da Costa, where the phenomenon is one of the oldest in the municipality of Famalicão. Their Manor House, uninhabited for more than fifty years, came the skipper and documents it is known that the manor was originally at the point of collapse. In the current chapel there are two ancient graves, being probably the crucifix appeared belonged to a ecclesiastical House, ha 300 years buried in the primitive Chapel.

Has the House of Costa interessantissimas legends, which greatly contributed to the people involved that phenomenon geolocico n a the supernatural, areola ´ judging across d ´ a fonte santa and miraculous water.

For land near and far the news has been rapidly circulating, to place the multitude of the naïve and believers, drinking and carrying the wonderful water, and are already without account of the cures that claim to have been operated by them. Blind, crippled, reumaticos, paraliticos, morfíticos, deaf, padecentes of the most diverse illnesses there or send in search of relief for their feathers, dragged by the strange belief that so many preach ever the wonders of the miraculous water.

On Sundays, mainly pilgrims, will, in classes, more withdrawn lands, Famalicão, Santo Tirso, Felgueiras, Guimaraes, Braga, with bottles, balloons, cantaros, go, kites and other containers of various sizes, for santa: If forward, advance get cure for your or others evils.

And while they wait, a terrace will border Thursday, rounds, in dances and singing, their mouths dessendentando with a fresh and pleasant wine that some put on sale there, until he be given go prove the miraculous water, and go after in re-chroming old chapel and will be abandoned Manor Kiss devotedly the wonderful crucifix.

The candidez of the people.

If the owner of quinta da Costa, Mr. Abilio de Magalhães Barrios, it wasn't an intelligent man and illustrated by his remarkable folk-lorismo studies and archaeology, around that case would ´ d already done exploration that many wish to encourage, by taking advantage of the superstitious popular superstition that easy. What is certain is that many of the spirits strong, d ´ this superstition mock, there have sent to pick up water, the dead of night, applying it with medicines, in the hope that it will be the cure more ready!

And there are many applications for water that the owner of the farm receives from various part of paiz, so many promises already made, soon forgotten, quinta da Costa promises to convert n ´ a Lourdes personal record, with a pompous Chapel, perigrinações and pilgrimages, miracles and wonders strangers!

Who once for the farm from the coast, two cherished memories at least may bring: the beauty of the landscape, d estoteante beauty ´, and apureza the air healthy and reconfortadores. About the miraculous water so pure pretense and nitida as the soul of the people panicked, so fresh and gentle as the face of the beautiful girls Minho region that will reap, desejáramos us that tel-article ´ torrid these days, but it was to replace the sodas tampered with that for these squares are sold, with severe health risks and sensitive to the stock market.

Source: Portuguese Illustration, 1910. Souza Martins