The story
Romeria de la Virgen de los Angeles in Cartago
Tracing to Juana Pereira's 1635 discovery of a small stone Marian image in Cartago, the romeria became a national pilgrimage after the Virgin's 1824 declaration as Patron of Costa Rica. Held every 2 August, it draws pilgrims from across the country, some travelling on foot or on their knees, to venerate La Negrita, with attendance estimates reaching as high as 2.5 million people in some years.
La Romeria matters because it gives Costa Ricans a shared act of devotion, where personal petitions and national identity meet on the road to Cartago.