Romeria

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A Romería is a Spanish religious pilgrimage. The word "Romería" comes from "romero", meaning those travelling towards Rome. It is a Catholic celebration that consists of a trip or peregrination (in cars, floats, to horse or on foot) that ends at a sanctuary or hermitage. It is not necessarily always a trip, but in some cases a celebration that lasts all day long.

One of the most famous examples of a romería is that of Nuestra Señora del Rocío, in which the faithful move to the Sanctuary of the Virgen del Rocío in the village of the Rocío, in Almonte, Huelva.

Another one of the most representative examples is the Romería of the Virgen de la Cabeza (Andújar, Jaén), which is considered the oldest Romería of Spain, and consists of the displacement of the travellers coming from all over the country to the Sanctuary of the Virgen de la Cabeza, through 33 km of Andújar, in the heart of Sierra de Andujar natural park. This celebration is held the last Sunday of April, and is considered of national tourist interest.

The Romería of the Virgin of Navahonda, celebrated in spring in the Madrilenian municipality of Robledo de Chavela is representative of this tradition.

Another representative example, in Mexico, is the Romería of the Virgin of Zapopan, which this considered the third most important peregrination in the country, after the one of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and the Virgin of San Juan of the Lakes. The Romería of the Virgin of Zapopan consists of a route 8 km in length, from the metropolitan Cathedral of Guadalajara, to the Basilica of the Virgin of Zapopan. It is made every 12th of October, and figure of the virgin goes accompanied by more than 3,000,000 people.