The story goes that in December 1370, a coastguard named Francesc Cantó found a wooden chest floating near Tamarit beach.
On the lid was written, “Sóc per a Elx”, which means “I am for Elche.”
Curious, Cantó opened the chest and found a statue of the Virgin Mary inside. Along with it was the consueta, the text and music used in the famous play about the Assumption of Mary called Misteri d’Elx.
Cantó quickly rode to Elche to tell the town council. They called on everyone in the city to come to the beach and collect the statue.
When the people arrived, they saw some residents from nearby Alicante and Orihuela trying to take the chest back to their own towns. To settle the dispute, they blindfolded the chest, placed it on a cart pulled by oxen, and let the animals decide which way to go.
The oxen led the cart towards Elche, and that is where the statue stayed.
