Santa Maria Church (Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion; UNESCO World Heritage; Minor Basilica)

Santa Maria Church, officially the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, is a UNESCO World Heritage Baroque church in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, Philippines. Perched on a hilltop and reached by an 85-step granite stairway, it is one of four Baroque Churches of the Philippines inscribed in 1993. Built in 1765 in Earthquake Baroque style with massive buttresses, it is noted for its fortress-like appearance, brick and mortar construction, and panoramic views over the town and surrounding plains.

Visitors can expect a hilltop fortress-like church accessed via a wide 85-step granite stairway. The exterior features thick brick walls, massive side and rear buttresses, and a separate bell tower. Inside is a simple nave with religious images including Our Lady of the Assumption. The elevated site offers panoramic views of Santa Maria town, rice fields and the coastline. The adjacent convent houses religious artifacts. The site is an active parish, so visitors encounter both heritage architecture and ongoing religious use.