This cult dates back to the 13th century, when a hunter from the village of Villamanrique (or Almonte, depending on which version of the story you follow) discovered a statue of the Virgin Mary in a tree trunk in the Doñana park. A chapel was built where the tree stood, and it became a place of pilgrimage. Devotion to this particular version of the Virgin was initially a local affair. Then, by the 17th century, hermandades (brotherhoods) were making the trip from nearby towns at Pentecost; by the 19th century, they came from all over Huelva, Cadiz and Seville, on a journey taking up to four days. Over the next century, the cult of the Virgin del Rocio became more and more widespread, and these days participants come from as far away as Barcelona and the Canary Islands - not to mention tourists who travel from abroad, around Europe and even further afield.
It is customary for the hermandades to stop at the town of Villamanrique. Oxen are then made to pull the cart carrying the image of the Holy Virgin up a staircase to the entrance of the local church "pictured above" and receive a blessing from the priest.
A pilgrim takes a rest in the famous "Vado del Quema" river, were it is customary for first time pilgrims to get baptised as "Rocieros".
