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Cantiga 136 of the Cantigas de Santa Maria of Alfonso X
The Gambling Woman who Threw a Stone at a Statue of the Virgin
A statue of the Virgin stood in front of a church in the city of Foggia in Apulia. It was made of marble and was very beautiful so the people had great reverence for it.
King Conrad, the son of the Emperor lived in that city and one day some of his company were playing dice in front of the statue.
A German woman who had lost was so enraged that she threw a stone at the face of the infant Christ.
The statue of the Virgin, however, intercepted the blow with its arm. The stone made a hole in the elbow that could be seen forever after.
When the King heard the news, he ordered the woman to be arrested and dragged through the streets.
He also had the statue completely repainted by a painter of the city and ordered it to be well guarded. Nevertheless, the arm was not restored, because God wanted it to remain as testimony.
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