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Virgen del Rocío, la Blanca Paloma
The Virgen del Rocío, la Blanca Paloma, is the focus of one of Spain's most deeply held devotions. Every year, around Pentecost, hundreds of thousands of people make their way to her hermitage in the village of El Rocío, in Almonte (Huelva).
La Blanca Paloma on our medal with natural pearl, handmade in Spain
History of the devotion
Tradition has it that at the end of the Middle Ages, a hunter found an image of the Virgin hidden in the trunk of a wild olive tree in the Doñana marshes. He tried to take it to the village, but the image mysteriously returned to its place. A hermitage was built there, on the site known as de las Rocinas, the origin of the name Rocío.
The pilgrimage
The Rocío brotherhoods, arriving from all over Andalusia and many other places, make the "camino" for several days: on foot, on horseback, and in ox-drawn carts, singing sevillanas and praying the rosary as night falls. Everything culminates in the early hours of Pentecost Monday with the procession of the Virgin.
More medals of the Virgen del Rocío
Pearl and pearl-white enamel
Turquoise and turquoise enamel
Multicolor
With topazes
Pearl and lilac enamel
Stone and lime enamel
Fun facts
- The "jumping of the grille": on that early morning, the young people of Almonte jump the grille of the altar to bring out the Virgin in procession. Only they can carry her.
- The streets of the village of El Rocío are made of sand, unpaved, and retain bars for tying up horses.
- There are more than a hundred affiliated brotherhoods, even outside Spain.
- In August, the more intimate "Rocío Chico" is celebrated, in memory of a promise made during the War of Independence.
Facts you can check
- On June 8, 1919, she was canonically crowned in her hermitage. She was crowned by Cardinal Enrique Almaraz, Archbishop of Seville, with a gold crown made by the goldsmith Ricardo Espinosa de los Monteros. Source
- The statue is medieval: historians date it between the 13th and 14th centuries. Later it was adapted to be dressed in mantles and skirts, and hence its current silhouette. Source
- On June 14, 1993, Pope John Paul II visited the sanctuary of El Rocío. There he spoke to the brotherhoods: "Dear Rocío sisters and brothers, I am happy to be with you on this beautiful afternoon." Source
- The village is next to Doñana, declared a national park in 1969 and inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 1994. Source
Why give a medal of the Virgen del Rocío
It is the perfect gift for a Rocío devotee, for a Rocío, or for anyone who carries Andalusia in their heart. A beautiful keepsake for the pilgrimage, for a communion, or to always keep the Blanca Paloma close.
La Blanca Paloma with natural pearls, to wear every day
Our medals of the Virgen del Rocío
Discover all our medals of the Virgen del Rocío, handmade in Spain with pearls, natural stones, and enamels.