Pilgrims, their faces and vibrant flamenco dresses coated in dust, congregated around an ox-driven carriage carrying the icon of the Virgin Mary. They had journeyed for nearly 12 hours on foot, horseback, and wagon, traversing the rugged dirt roads to reach this sacred destination.
As festive flamenco music faded and revellers set aside their drinks, the Catholic faithful gathered among the pine trees, a few miles from the hamlet of El Rocío, to pray the evening rosary.
