Swarms of devotees fill El Rocío village during the annual Whitsunday Pilgrimage. After days of travelling in carriages or on horseback, the pilgrims gather to camp out under the stars, sing and dance around bonfires and worship the Virgin Mary.
Up to a million people make the long journey through Andalucía to gather in El Rocío, where the statue of the Virgen del Rocío has been worshipped since 1280. It takes days to complete the pilgrimage, with devotees hailing from Huelva, Seville, Cádiz and other provinces.Many arrive on horseback and in elaborately decorated wagons spun with silver and gold (called simpecados) which are pulled by oxen and carry effigies of the Virgin.
In the early hours of Pentecost Monday the festival reaches its long-awaited climax as the Virgin Mary is carried out of her sanctuary by the locals of nearby Almonte. The statue is paraded around the town by candlelight to the sounds of chanting crowds.
When: 13 Jun 2011
Where: El Rocío, Spain
From: whatsonwhen.com
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