What is the Virgin of El Rocío?
⛪ The Virgin of El Rocío, known as the White Dove or the Queen of the Marshes, is one of the most popular and exciting devotions in the world. Her history is shrouded in a medieval legend that made her the patron saint of Almonte (Huelva) and the centre of a Pilgrimage that brings together more than a million people each year.
At The Sun Places we want to tell you everything about the Virgin of El Rocío: her legendary discovery, the sanctuary that houses her, the dates of her great celebration and the brotherhoods that sing to her.
What is the history of the Virgin of El Rocío?
📜 The legendary origin of the Virgin of El Rocío
The origin of the Virgin of El Rocío dates back to the Late Middle Ages, after the conquest of the area by King Alfonso X "the Wise" in the 13th century. According to historian Juan Infante Galán, it was this monarch who ordered the building of a small hermitage in the Rocina area and placed inside a Marian image that we now know as the Virgin of El Rocío.
Initially, she was called Santa María de las Rocinas; it was not until 1653, when Almonte proclaimed her their patron saint, that she began to be called the Virgin of El Rocío.
🌿 The legend of the discovery
- Popular tradition embellished these events with a beautiful legend recorded in writing in 1758. It is said that a shepherd or a hunter found the carving of the Virgin of El Rocío hidden in the hollow of an olive tree trunk. When he tried to move her to Almonte, the image disappeared overnight only to miraculously reappear in the very same place where it was found.
- The locals interpreted the sign as the Virgin of El Rocío's wish to stay there, in the solitude of the marshes, and they built a new hermitage on that spot, which would become her definitive home.
📍The Sanctuary: the home of the Virgin of El Rocío
The Pilgrimage ends its journey at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Rocío, the temple that houses the Virgin of El Rocío. Although it was completed in 1969 with a Neo-Baroque design, its history dates back to a first Mudejar hermitage from the 13th century. This Sanctuary is the fourth in the history of devotion to the Virgin of El Rocío, as the previous buildings became too small or were damaged by the growth of faith and by natural phenomena.
📅 When is the Pilgrimage of the Virgin of El Rocío celebrated?
The date of the Pilgrimage of the Virgin of El Rocío is not fixed. It is celebrated at Pentecost, 50 days after Easter Sunday (between May and June). The feast commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit, but for the Rocío devotees it symbolises the moment when the multitude approaches the Virgin of El Rocío, the White Dove.
🏅Universal recognitions of the Virgin of El Rocío
The relevance of the Virgin of El Rocío is measured not only in faith, but also in official recognitions:
- 1919: The Virgin of El Rocío was Canonically Crowned by Pope Benedict XV.
- 1980: Her Pilgrimage was declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest.
- 2023: The Andalusian Government approved requesting devotion to the Virgin of El Rocío as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
🤝 The brotherhoods that venerate the Virgin of El Rocío
The organisational structure of devotion to the Virgin of El Rocío is unique. The Mother Brotherhood of Almonte is the mother of all, officially founded in the 17th century, and is responsible for governing the worship at the sanctuary. Around it there are more than 120 Daughter Brotherhoods spread throughout the world that make pilgrimages to venerate the Virgin of El Rocío.
🕰️ The oldest brotherhoods
In the 18th century, when only a few made the pilgrimage, the order of the procession of the Virgin of El Rocío was established and is maintained to this day. The oldest brotherhood of all is that of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, with special privileges such as being represented by croziers instead of rods.
🏘️ The Village of El Rocío: the town that lives for the Virgin
Devotion to the Virgin of El Rocío cannot be understood without the place that houses her: the Village of El Rocío. Its streets are made of sand, and the horse is king. The most emblematic buildings are the brotherhood houses, the headquarters of the daughter branches, which line up around the sanctuary where the Virgin of El Rocío is venerated.
The Village of El Rocío is located in the heart of Doñana National Park, but everything revolves around Her.
✨ Other traditions in honour of the Virgin of El Rocío
- Saca de las Yeguas (26 June): The marsh mares pass in front of the hermitage of the Virgin of El Rocío to be blessed.
- Rocío Chico (August): A smaller pilgrimage commemorating the Canonical Coronation of the Virgin of El Rocío in 1919.
🏠 Why experience devotion to the Virgin of El Rocío with The Sun Places?
The Virgin of El Rocío is a pillar of Andalusian identity. To experience this devotion up close and visit the Village of El Rocío, The Sun Places offers you Luxury Apartments in Seville or Luxury Apartments in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, with all the comfort so you can focus only on what is important: venerating the Virgin of El Rocío.
✨ Contact The Sun Places to design your experience in honour of the Virgin of El Rocío.
The White Dove awaits you. ✨
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