Legend has it that in the Peneda Mountains lived Leonor, a rich and beautiful young woman, under the tutelage of a noble uncle, the powerful and cruel D. Bernardo. Leonor had a secret love, D. Afonso, a young but ruined nobleman. She was helped by her old maid Marta who accompanied her in the brief meetings she had with her lover. Marta had sworn allegiance to them, even saying that if she ever betrayed them, God would turn her into stone.
One day, Marta was coming from a meeting with D. Afonso, who had given her a letter to Leonor, when she was surprised by D. Bernardo. The cruel nobleman, suspecting something, forced old Marta to tell him what was happening in return for great threats and managed to get the time and place for the next meeting between the young people. D. Bernardo decided to surprise the lovers and punish them.
Marta accompanied Leonor on the day of the meeting, with great despair because she was unable to tell her mistress. The young people in love found themselves in the Serra de Peneda, leaving Marta to watch in a nearby place. Leonor and D. Afonso were exchanging vows of love when they heard voices and, wanting to check what was going on, they went to the place where Marta was. They found with astonishment that Marta had turned to stone, a sign that she had betrayed them. Knowing themselves to be in danger, the young men fled to Galicia where they married and made a fortune.
