The story goes that one day while the Lord God Almighty was creating the mountain range of Sintra he noticed 5 large rocks and the Creator approached them and asked them if they were satisfied with their shape. Of the Divine Architect and, taking advantage of their offer, asked to change their name, they did not want to be called rocks, cliffs or fragas, they wanted a more appealing name and that gave them more prestige.
God smiled and said:
– From this day will be known as cliffs.
The rocks were happy and asked the Creator to give them also a nickname. With all his good will God went back to smile and gave them the following names by which they are still Known:
– Penha Ferrim because you are firm in the attempts and persistent in commits;
– Penha Longa will be your name for being the largest and one day the place of a great Christian community;
– Penha da Pena because you will be fervent in devotion to Santa Maria;
– Penha Verde because you are green and you will host one of the most illustrious Portuguese who will inhabit this place, returned from India
And looking at the smallest of the cliffs God said:
– And you will be the Peninha in which my Mother will appear.
And so the legend goes: they got their names the 5 cliffs which still mark the landscape of Sintra.