The El Rocío Pilgrimage in Seville, Spain (PHOTOS)

Every spring, hundreds of thousands of devotees converge at the shrine of El Rocío in the province of Seville, southern Spain, to pay homage to the Virgin del Rocío during an annual pilgrimage that combines religious fervor and festive color. The El Rocío Pilgrimage is one of the biggest pilgrimages in the world with one of the largest crowds. It has its origins in the year 1653, when the Virgin of Las Rocinas was appointed Patron Saint of Almonte and it was decided to set aside a feast day for her on September 8. In 1758 that date was changed to the second day of Pentecost, and there was also a change to the Virgin's name, Rocinas, which became Rocío. The pilgrims begin this annual event by travelling the pilgrims' trail. This takes a few days, during which time they travel in each other's company, on foot, on horseback or in horse-drawn carriages, sleeping under the stars until they reach the village.