Romeria del Rocio

Drove to San Lucar de Barrameda this morning to observe the pilgrims, known as Rocieros, crossing the Rio Guadalquivir for their annual pilgrimage to visit El Rocio's Ermita de Nuestra Senora (The Church of Our Lady) and pay homage to La Virgen del Rocio (the Virgin of El Rocio), also known as La Reina de las Marismas (the Queen of the Wetlands) and La Paloma Blanca (the White Dove). For a bit of history, this is the country's biggest pilgrimage (romeria) in which over a million people make their way on foot and on horseback to the shrine which lies on the edge of the Doñana National Park in the province of Huelva. The festival usually takes place at the end of May and lasts for three days.

The procession of the Madonnas begins on Saturday morning and lasts until late at night. The wagons that carry the Madonnas are called simpecados and are elaborately-worked in silver and gold, mobile altar pieces brought from the churches of the 95 Hermandades (brotherhoods) who revere the Virgin of El Rocio and make up the majority of the pilgrims. One by one these Hermandades make their way to the church of El Rocio, the senior members of each brotherhood riding ahead in lines four abreast, followed by their town's simpecado, attended by a surging throng of supporters, clapping, chanting and beating drums.