The Catedral Metropolitana de Santa Maria sits in the historic centre of Santa Maria. Building started in 1902 where an older parish church stood, and it finally opened in 1909. A year later it was raised to cathedral status. A pair of soaring towers dominate the front of the building, each capped with a small oval dome and a cross, and a statue of the Immaculate Conception stands on the roof line between them. They are mirror images of each other but if you look closely one carries a clock face, the other a round stained glass window exactly the same size. In order to fit both towers in the frame without them leaning means you'll have to back up across the open grounds in front and experiment with where the composition works the best for your style. Inside, frescoes run across the nave ceiling and the half dome above the altar, working through the life of the Virgin, and there are carved wooden altars and coloured glass down both sides. You'll have to brace yourself against a pew rather than pushing the ISO, since the ceiling needs sharpness to hold up. The belfry holds a mission bell cast in 1684 that has been hanging here since 1911. Entry is free and the Museu Sacro sits alongside. Remember it is a working cathedral, so you will have to time your visit around services to give worshippers their space. (Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil)
📍 Explore on PIXEO Map →
heroarchitecturechurchhistoric