“…I realized it’s about more than just faith—it’s about family, community, culture, benevolence and tradition.”
Every May, thousands of pilgrims travel to El Rocío to honor the Virgin, and her golden likeness, housed in a church at the heart of this charming Andalusian town.
The Romeria de El Rocío is one of Spain’s oldest and largest ferias. Its roots date back to the 13th century when, according to legend, a hunter discovered a statue of the Virgin Mary inside a hollowed-out tree. Today, pilgrims travel from all over Andalusia and beyond, often journeying as their ancestors did—some in ornately decorated ox-drawn wagons, others on horseback for days, while many make the journey on foot through winding country tracks and sandy plains.
The atmosphere is one of celebration and deep emotion. Crowds sing and dance as visitors are welcomed into locals’ homes, food and drink are freely shared, and festivities last well into the early morning.
In the early hours of Pentecost Monday, the celebration reaches its climax as the statue of the El Rocío Virgin is carried from her church on the shoulders of the crowd. She is lifted above the sea of people, carried long into the daylight hours as pilgrims weep with devotion.
Later that day, pilgrims begin their long journey home—exhausted, yet uplifted by songs of devotion and the shared hardship of the trail. Already dreaming of the moment they will return the following year.
Leon Foggitt is a documentary photographer based between London and Bristol. He says he is often drawn to unique stories in sunny locations (stemming from his upbringing under the UK’s perpetually grey skies) and it was this combination that brought him to El Rocío in 2019—not to document the pilgrimage, but to capture an event where local horsemen round up hundreds of wild horses.
L.Foggitt: I’ve always been inspired by cinema and the sense of place some of the great cinematographers achieve. So I’m always on the lookout for project ideas where the location adds as much to the story as the people. El Rocío was like a goldmine in terms of it being a unique and beautiful location as well as having fascinating traditions and people that embodied the place so fully.
L.Foggitt: While researching the project about wild horses, I contacted a filmmaker who had made a short film about it. He kindly connected me with a local family, who, to my surprise, immediately invited me to stay with them and join the horsemen in the wilderness.
It was an incredible, if overwhelming, trip—days in the blazing heat with people whose language I didn’t speak, and nights sleeping under the stars.
L.Foggitt: While staying with the family, they told me about the pilgrimage that had taken place a month earlier and encouraged me to return for it. I didn’t think much of it at the time, and then 2020 came—the pilgrimage was canceled for a couple of years. It wasn’t until 2024 that I finally made it back.
As soon as we booked our flights, excitement set in. I put together mood boards for both stills and film, studied Google Maps, and researched the pilgrimage route for key photo locations. We planned logistics but knew there would be plenty of unknowns once we arrived.
L.Foggitt: I flew out with my filmmaker friend Charlie, excited but also uncertain of what to expect. We spent a couple of nights with the family in a nearby village before setting off on the pilgrimage in a horse-drawn carriage—speeding along sandy tracks with hundreds of other pilgrims, stopping for drinks and tapas under the trees. While our journey lasted only a day, others traveled for weeks.
Once in El Rocío, we spent days wandering the town with our cameras, meeting pilgrims as they arrived. Almost everyone we approached was happy to be filmed, often offering food and drinks. This became our routine—wandering, socializing, and capturing moments as they unfolded, never forcing anything but seizing every great opportunity to shoot.
L.Foggitt: The trip was a whirlwind—mostly highs, but also moments of exhaustion. Our plans quickly changed as road closures and heavy traffic made reaching other pilgrims nearly impossible. Even small tasks, like dragging gear through El Rocío’s deep sand, were challenging, with horse-drawn carriages speeding past and spooked horses rearing up nearby.
L.Foggitt: Staying with a local family immersed us in the traditions, but we soon realized we needed to break away at times to capture what we needed. We adapted to the festival’s rhythm—late starts, spontaneous gatherings, and plenty of food, drinks, and flamenco. Thanks to Charlie’s Spanish, we connected easily, often lingering too long before joking that we should probably get back to shooting.
L.Foggitt: For the stills and short film (coming summer 2025), I aimed to create quiet, otherworldly images that evoke atmosphere rather than a straightforward portrayal of reality.
I’m not religious, though not an atheist either. But after experiencing the pilgrimage, I realized it’s about more than just faith—it’s about family, community, benevolence, culture, and tradition. In my view, cultural events like this are incredibly important, especially in a time when globalization and social media are making cultures more homogenized.
L.Foggitt: I’ve had an amazing time working on both projects in El Rocío, and the warmth and friendliness I experienced from the people has left a lasting impression. I truly believe these events should be cherished, whether you’re religious or not. I hope the images reflect my appreciation for the beauty and pageantry of the event, as well as the pride and passion the people have in celebrating their culture and tradition.
All images © Leon Foggitt