In the town of Santa Maria in the province of Ilocos Sur Luzon is stunning Church of Santa Maria, is attracting tens of thousands of the faithful and tourists. This is not only a reminder of four centuries of Spanish domination in these lands, but also a unique building, famous for its architecture and design. Compared with other churches in the region of Santa Maria are smaller in size, but magnificent. It was built on a hill, and served as a kind of observation post, later becoming a real religious center.

After the complete conquest of the province of Ilocos the Spaniards in the 17th century, the population of Santa Maria has increased significantly. Everywhere were based evangelical congregations, which made the town a religious and commercial center. According to legend, before the Church of Santa Maria was built on its current location, worship the Virgin Mary in the town of Bula. The holy image kept disappearing from his throne, and later he was found on the same place - on the guava tree that grew where today stands the chapel of the Church of Santa Maria. In this story, many people believe, and the legend has contributed to the construction of the church. In 1810 it was added the bell tower, which attracts the attention not only for its unusual location, but its proportions and hexagonal shape.

Directly in front of the church of the monastery, which partially covers the facade of the temple. It is possible to pass directly from the church across the bridge, built over the once deep moat. By the door of the church is a large staircase of three spans, the other two are located behind the building - one leading to the cemetery, on the other panoramic view of the valley and the town of Santa Maria.