Santuario Nuestra Señora del Rocío

Santuario Nuestra Señora del Rocío is without doubt one of the most important centres of devotion to the Virgin in the world, and is visited all year round by hundreds of millions of believers. The Sanctuary, seen in the midst of marshes and displays of fervent emotion, is a magical and esoteric place where all roads meet, El Rocío (Almonte)

The first shrine was built by Alfonso X "the Wise" between 1270 and 1300, after conquering the land from the Arabs, and mentioned in the "Book of the Hunt". The building, which is "ten varas long, facing south, with a gabled wood roof and atrium" was built in the Mudejar style.

The current shrine was designed by the architects Alberto Balbontín Orta and Antonio Delgado Roig, and has a floor plan in the shape of a Latin cross, three naves, a clerestory, and at the end, the main chapel. The shrine was consecrated on 12 April 1969 by the then Bishop of Huelva, Monsignor José García Lahiguera, and on Sunday 13, the Virgin of el Rocío entered her new chapel for the first time.

1999 marked the inauguration of the new altarpiece and the Virgin's chapel, an impressive work which serves as a worthy home for the White Dove.