At the first lights of the day, the Andalusian campaign wakes up to the sound of drums and flutes. Direction El Rocío, a village located 80 km southwest of Seville.
Pilgrims, on foot, on horseback or in cart, begin their march. From Gines to Almonte, 1,500 people are advancing, united in the effort.
Among them, women in flamenco dress adjust flowers in their hair. “It is not only a tradition, it is a living faith”says one of them.
El Rocío is the most important pilgrimage in Spain. Each year, it attracts Pentecost’s Sunday weekend, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims in the Sanctuary of Blanche-Colombe.
For this edition, more than a million visitors are expected, coming from all over Spain and even from abroad. More than 7,000 people (police, medical services, volunteers) are mobilized from June 2 to 12 to ensure the safety and well-being of pilgrims as tourists.
