Aninhas (Aida Lupo), a paralyzed girl, asks for a miracle from the saint of her devotion, Our Lady of Lourdes, at the chapel of Penha (Guimarães), but her prayer is not heard - She turns her devotion to the Blessed Virgin directly, and joins the multitude that goes on a pilgrimage to the village...
Ana doesn't care for the pure love André devotes her, and turns her heart towards a noble man that is just lightly interested in her. Ana will experience the agony of being abandoned, and must contemplate the reclusion of a nun's life.
Cabreira Hill. A village dominated by patriarchal tradition: the woman takes care of the household or picks up wood; the man takes care of the cattle or chops down trees to produce coal. After doing time for a crime of passion, a sailor arrives, becoming an element of fascination, changing things.