The Church in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, which has been dedicated to Our Lady of Assumption (Nuestra Senora dela Asuncion), is one of the four Baroque Churches in the Philippines that has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion: Municipality of Santa Maria, Province of Ilocos Sur Built in 1765 under the direction of the Agustinian order, the ensemble resembles a citadel sited on the crest of a solitary hill rising above one side of the Santa Maria town plaza. The architectural ensemble presents its side and detached pagoda-like bell tower rather than its façade to the town. Thick contrafuetes (buttresses) are attached to the walls, reinforcing the structure against earthquake damage.
In 1810, an image of the Virgin Mary image was found in a guava tree, on the day it was supposed to be enthroned in Bulala, some distance away. The present church was built on the spot where the guava tree grew, under the supervision of the Augustinian friars.
The bell tower is constructed a distance away, protecting the main church structure from possible earthquake damage. Approached on foot by ascending a long, wide flight of piedra china, steps that rising from the edge of the town plaza, the small, cramped plaza at the top of the steps is bounded by the church façade that faces the convento, enclosed by an arcaded bridge that connects both structures.
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