The legend of this place goes like this: Vila Franca do Campo was the original capital of São Miguel. The hillsides above the city have been the home to many shepherds, and one day in the 16th century, one of the shepherds took refuge from a storm in a cave. In that cave, he found an image of The Virgin Mary. He took that image to the parish priest, but the next day, the image was found in the same cave. This kept happening until the people there decided that she wanted a church built there. The construction plans were for the church to be built in a sheltered spot away from the winds just below the cave (at the bottom of the stairs), and the construction materials were gathered there, but she had other plans, and the workers found the materials moved to the cave where the images were found.
The original chapel was destroyed by an earthquake (that also decimated Vila Franco do Campo, which is why Ponta Delagdo is the capital now) and a new one was built in 1764.
Those who climbed before the hint:
- Paul Voestermans
- Martin de Bock
- Phil Ower
- hhgygy
- Garfield
- Ann K.
- Eloy Cano
- Ashwini Agrawal
- Graham Hedley
- Lighthouse
- Turriant
- Angie CF
- Felix Bossert
- Bas van Limpt
And after the hint: