The Devil's Bridge

Once upon a time…

In ancient times, in the rugged lands of Barroso, within the Peneda-Gerês National Park, lived a criminal man, pursued by the law for numerous crimes. Possessing a profound knowledge of the mountains, crags, and hiding places of the mountains, he always managed to escape.

One day, his escape led him to become lost among steep rocks, and before him lay the Rabagão River. The force of the water and the depth of the gorge left him no way out. Desperate, he invoked divine forces, but they did not answer him. With no other option, he cried out to the Devil, who appeared to him.

"I'll give up my soul in exchange for a ticket."

The pact was swift: the fugitive would give up his soul in exchange for safe passage. In an instant, a stone bridge appeared over the abyss. The man crossed it hastily, without looking back. No sooner had he reached the other side than a terrible crash rang out and the bridge vanished, preventing any pursuit.

Years passed. The fugitive grew old and, on the verge of death, fearing he would end up in hell, confessed to a priest the pact he had made with the Devil. The priest, determined to save that soul, went to the place where the bridge had appeared.

There, he pretended to accept the same deal with the Devil, and the bridge reappeared once more. The priest crossed it calmly and, suddenly, took out a small cauldron of holy water and a sprig of rosemary. He sprinkled the bridge three times, made the sign of the cross, and pronounced the words of exorcism. An intense smell of sulfur filled the air, a dreadful roar was heard, and the Devil disappeared forever. The bridge, however, remained standing.

Since then, it has become known as the Devil's Bridge or Misarela Bridge, a place where the sacred triumphed over evil and where the stone holds the memory of a broken pact. Locals say that those who pass by still feel the weight of the legend, amidst the roar of the waters and the silence of the mountains.