Virgen de Chapi Pilgrimage

01 May 2012 - 31 May 2012
Place: Santuario de Chapi y Arequipa

Thousands of faithful people from all over Peru attend this celebration to test their faith.

In Arequipa, thousands of pilgrims cross the desert from the city of Arequipa to the sanctuary of Chapi to worship the image of the Virgin of Purification, today known as the Virgen de Chapi.

In 1790, the parish priest of pueblo, Juan de Dios José Tamayo, tried to move the image to another community and failed, reportedly because the statue suddenly became too heavy to move.

News of the miracle spread like wildfire, and today the faithful take around 15 hours to walk 45 km.

First stop, the pilgrims gather stones of varying sizes, forming the so-called apachetas which symbolize the weariness and sins that the faithful leave behind them.

In Chapi, the virgin is borne aloft in a procession over carpets of flower petals. At night, next to the sanctuary, pilgrims set off fireworks and sell foodstuffs.