Travel to Portugal Great Country

Legend of the Historical Village Marialva

Maria Alva

Legend transmitted by word of mouth over the centuries and with variations. Appeared in an attempt to explain the name of the land and because they could no longer has much to do with imagined stories and legends in the Middle Ages, Time of Castles …
This is one version (there are several) and reads as follows:

In times gone by, lived in a castle tower a princess, so beautiful and white skin that everybody called her Maria Alva.

The Princess appeared at his window, but never went out or to walk, visit or go to church. Maybe that’s why his fame spread from land to land and began to come from everywhere Knights and princes who hoped that she came up to the window. In vain offered him gifts in vain to sing beautiful music: the Princess never went out of his tower, or accept requests for marriage.

Marry whom I offer a pair of shoes made to measure my foot, said one day…

This challenge has made the happiness of the shoemakers in the region who have seen here a great business opportunity. One, in particular the famous Ramiro, was amused to cause their customers, casting further confusion, sometimes telling each that the Princess was about big feet, sometimes telling the others just the opposite. And so your business prosper … But none of the Knights agreed with the measure.

Until one day by those stops came a prince whose cunning had been worth the nickname: Hawk Eyes. Clever as he was, decided to pay the one created for this spread ash near the bed of the Princess. So when she got up, his feet would be marked in gray and could easily get the cast right.

What the Prince did not expect was that instead of normal feet, to leave marks on the gray donkey’s feet. The Princess had feet ass! Too scared the waiter repeated time and again that it was the work of the devil and that the Prince had forgotten Maria Alva and follow his path.

The prince, however, decided, with templates that had to have a pair of shoes as the Princess of the softest leather that was. Not without resistance, terrified by the story, the shoemaker Ramiro there was a pair of shoes in exchange for 2 bags of gold coins! 3 days after the shoes were ready and the Prince hastened to deliver them to the Princess.

However, without that nothing did expect there was a terrific roar, a shriek and smoke started coming out of the bedroom window of the Princess.
All fled except the Prince, who, happily, notes the Princess, not at the window, but going barefoot through the door of the Castle.

Had been broken the charm that a wicked witch had cast a Maria Alva. Imprisoned in the tower and feet ass, Princess would only be freed from the spell if someone offered her a pair of shoes custom made. Hawk Eyes and Princess were married and lived happily for ever … The shoemaker Ramiro stopped working, made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela and in turn built a beautiful house and legend has it that he never told anyone the origin of his fortune.

And the land took the name of the beautiful Princess Maria Alva: MARIALVA