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Villamanrique de la Condesa is a white village with approximately 4,000 inhabitants which is situated 37km from Seville.
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Every spring there is a pilgrimage to El Rocio at the edge of the Doñana National park where a statue of the Virgin Mary was said to have been discovered in the marshes of Rocio in the 15th century.
Up to a million people make the pilgrimage and the homage to Virgen del Rocio - Our Lady of the Dew - lasts for three days. Many of the pilgrims make their way to the shrine on horseback, in brightly decorated carriages or in multi-coloured caravans that wind across the Andalucian countryside, camping out at designated stops for overnight revelry.
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Villamanrique is an important stopping place on the journey. There are many oxen pulling carts containing a statue of the Virgin and if the oxen are judged to be strong enough, they are led up the steps into the porch of the church.
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Villamanrique covers an area of 57,44 km² and in 2005 had a density of 66 inhabitants per sq km.
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Its geographic co-ordinates are 37º 15' N, 6º 18' O and the altitude is 29 metres above sea level.
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