Spain Events and Festivals

5/01/2009 - 5/31/2009Romeria del Rocio

A statue of The Virgin Mary was discovered in the marshes of Rocio in the 15th century. Since then, the Virgin of Rocio has been the patron saint of the nearby town of Almonte. Each year a pilgrimage is made to Rocio, with up to a million people converging on this corner of Andalucia, many of them associated with the brotherhoods that organise ox-drawn wagons to make the symbolic journey to Rocio. It is customary to wear traditional clothes such as flamenco dresses or, for the men, bolero hats and tight waistcoats, and many travel on horseback. No motor vehicles are allowed in the great cortege that trundles along dusty lanes. Quite a few people arrive on foot from considerable distances to take part in the festivities, which are strongly Spanish in character, deeply Catholic, but with a touch of older pagan beliefs in there too. Finally, the procession trickles in to the countryside of Rocio near the mouth of the Guadalquivir River. Here in this simple, rustic setting the pilgrims make camp to sing, eat, dance and pay homage to the 'Virgen del Rocio'. Festivities also take place in the town of Almonte.