El Rocío

History

The events that led to the creation and development of the village of El Rocío date back more than 800 years, from the 13th Century up until present time. Due to its geographical location between the capital of the province, Huelva, and the Atlantic Ocean, the village has held a key role in maritime-terrestrial commerce, especially during the Late Middle Ages and the modern era. From the 17th Century onwards, interest in touristic, cultural and religious aspects of the village reached international projection, resulting in its special status and the village being protected as an area of Cultural interest of Spain in 1973. It also holds the title of a site of World Herritage given by the UNESCO in 1992, as well as had Pope John Paul II visit in 1993. The first Hermitage of El Rocío was a simple Mudéjar building constructed some time after Alfonso's 1270 command, and built no later than 1300. The statue of Our Lady of El Rocío certainly dates back to this building, though its precise date and origin are a matter of some controversy. The settlement originally arose as a religious pilgrimage destination in the 16th Century. During a pilgrimages in the 15th Century, individuals decided to construct a temple in honour of legends, apparitions and inventions pertaining to the Virgin of El Rocío. During this era, Alfonso X of Castille reigned. The village was left practically abandoned in 1810, after the invasion of France. That same year, on the 17th of August, in Almonte, the french general Pierre D'Osseaux was executed, Napoleon sent soldiers to reinforce the area as a consequence. In this time, the villagers pleaded to their virgin of El Rocío to protect them, as they could not survive another invasion. Two days later, when the soldiers found themselves in the…

Geography

El Rocio is adjacent to the marshland of Madre de las Marismas del Rocio. The village has an average elevation of , minimum elevation of 0m (sea level) and maximum elevation of . The entire region lies within the Andalusian Mediterranean Basin. The geomorphology of the coast around Huelva has been strongly influenced by rivers that flow south, such as the Guadiana, Tinto-Odial, Guadalquivir and Guadalete. Early pleistocene estuaries of the Guadalquivir and Guadalete rivers were connected by the existence of a channel located eastwards of Jerez de la Frontera. The system of reservoirs Andévalo - Chanza - Piedras are the main distributors of sources of water for Huelva. El Rocío has a subtropical Mediterranean climate. (Köppen: Csa) This is characterised by mild winters and warm summers. This weather is influenced by the proximity of Costa del Sol to the sea, the south-facing coast, resulting in the reception of sun rays that create this weather. The Doñana park is a protected area part of the village full of rare wildlife, including the lynx, wild boar, wild horses, and a variety of water birds on the wetlands, including flamingos, herons, storks and egrets.

Most-observed species

• White Stork

  Ciconia ciconia (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,814
• European Stonechat

  Saxicola rubicola (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,647
• Spotless Starling

  Sturnus unicolor Temminck, 1820 · Aves
  4,450
• Glossy Ibis

  Plegadis falcinellus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,420
• Eurasian Spoonbill

  Platalea leucorodia Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  4,269
• Greater Flamingo

  Phoenicopterus roseus Pallas, 1811 · Aves
  4,227
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,153
• Gray/Purple Heron

  Ardea cinerea Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  4,031