This year, the Blanca Paloma is not in her hermitage. On August 19, 2026, the Virgin of El Rocío left the village on the shoulders of the people of Almonte and, after an entire night on the road, entered Almonte on August 20. There she will spend about nine months, until she returns to El Rocío in the spring of 2027, before the Pentecost pilgrimage. It is the Venida, and it only happens every seven years.
What is the Venida?
The Venida is the transfer of the Virgin of El Rocío from her sanctuary in the village of El Rocío to the parish of the Assumption in Almonte, the town of which she is the patron saint. During those months, Almonte has its Virgin at home: on the high altar of its church, just a step away from every resident.
The previous Venida was in 2019. The next one will not arrive until 2033.
Where the tradition comes from
In the beginning, there were no fixed dates. Almonte would bring the Virgin when it was needed: in times of epidemic, drought, or famine, to ask for her help with novenas of masses. The first transfer for which there is written record is from 1607, although there may have been others before.
Since 1949, the Venida has been celebrated every seven years. A misfortune is no longer needed to bring her: it is an event that an entire town awaits for seven years.
What the journey is like
It is about fourteen kilometers of sand between the village and Almonte. The Virgin leaves at dusk, dressed as a Pastora, with the outfit and hat that she only wears for the transfers, and walks all night on the shoulders of the people of Almonte.
As the road kicks up a lot of dust, the Virgin's face is covered with a cloth, and the image is protected. At dawn, already at the gates of Almonte, her face is unveiled. It is one of the most anticipated moments of the Venida.
The Blanca Paloma on our medal with a natural pearl, handmade in Spain
A town dressed for the party
Almonte prepares for months. The streets through which the Virgin passes are filled with arches and flower decorations made by the residents themselves, and the entire town comes out to receive her.
Nine months of pilgrimages
While the Virgin is in Almonte, the brotherhoods do not go to the village: they go to the town. The Mother Brotherhood has organized a calendar of extraordinary pilgrimages to the parish of the Assumption, from September 13, 2026, to April 2027. There are about 180, with brotherhoods arriving from all over Spain, as well as from the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla, and even from Brussels.
This Venida, moreover, coincides with the Rocío Jubilee Year.
When the Virgin returns to the village
In the spring, before the pilgrimage. El Rocío 2027 is celebrated from May 14 to 17, and by then the Blanca Paloma will be back in her hermitage, waiting for the brotherhoods.
A year to carry her with you
For a devotee of El Rocío, the year of the Venida is different from all others. That is why it is a good time to give, or treat yourself to, a medal of the Virgin of El Rocío: to someone who has made the pilgrimage to Almonte, to someone who will make the journey in May, or to someone named Rocío.
Discover all our medals of the Virgin of El Rocío, handmade in Spain with pearls, natural stones, and enamels. All come with their chain and wrapped as a gift.
Facts you can check
- The first documented transfer is from 1607, and the Venida has been celebrated every seven years since 1949. Before that, the Virgin was taken to Almonte for epidemics, droughts, or famines. Source
- In 2026, the Virgin left the village on August 19 and arrived in Almonte on the 20th. She will be in the town for about nine months and will return in the spring of 2027. Source
- The extraordinary pilgrimages to Almonte run from September 13, 2026, to April 2027. Source
Marian and Bárbara