Legend has it that a cross was placed at a remote site to signal an inglorious death or a highly successful miracle. The cross would give rise to the cult devoted to the Lord of the Afflicted and his powers to heal body and soul. A church, which would later become a sanctuary, was built at the site. The people of Portalegre traditionally go to the site on the first Sunday in May, in a festive pilgrimage that serves as the basis for a walking route through lovely rural landscapes of oak forests and grazing land.