Legend of the Convent of Sisimiro

By the year 982, there was a convent of Benedictine nuns in Quinta das Lameiras, known as the Convent of Sisimiro.

On this date, the famous and fearsome Moorish general Al-Mançur and his hosts crossed the Douro to the left bank. Their trail of blood was enormous. Having destroyed Lamego, they advanced towards Trancoso. On the way, they razed the Convent of Areas to the ground, where they martyred many of the nuns. After crossing the Pêra mountain range, they reached the convent of Sisimiro. A large number of the nuns suffered martyrdom, while others managed to escape, taking with them an image of Our Lady. As they fled, they sought shelter in the woods where they wandered. They ended up finding a cave or lapa where they kept the image, which withstood the harshness of the centuries for some 515 years.

It was this image that gave rise to the legend of Senhora da Lapa.