Santa Maria: Plaza, Textile Art, and Jesuit Traces

If you are considering Santa Maria as a destination, its historic townscape, textile craft tradition, and Jesuit connections offer different points of interest. Plaza Mariscal Estigarribia provides a starting point for reflecting on the town’s history: its layout and the buildings around it point to several layers of time. Other highlights include the textile works of the Taller de la Hermandad, sacred art, and the historic Ykua Teja water source.

Plaza and Historic Townscape

Plaza Mariscal Estigarribia lies in the center of Santa María de Fé and follows the historic Jesuit town plan. Around it stand the church, the former Indigenous House, which now serves as a museum, and other colonial-era houses. Religious, museum, and colonial-era associations thus converge around the same plaza. The plaza is a distinctive point of reference if you are interested in the town’s historic layout.

It covers slightly more than one hectare and is completely shaded by lush native trees. The tourism description notes that their vivid colors are especially striking in spring. You can stroll around the plaza, enjoy nature, and relax. The historic setting and time spent among the greenery come together here; the plaza offers more than a view of the surrounding buildings.

Textile Art and Sacred Collection

At the Taller de la Hermandad, women artisans from Santa María de Fe maintain a textile tradition that, according to a description from 2025, had already been going on for more than four decades. They embroider fabric scraps with colorful figures. The motifs tell stories and depict scenes from rural Misiones. Material and imagery come together: fabric scraps become a form of textile storytelling that reflects rural life in the region.

The Museo Diocesano in Santa María offers a different cultural perspective. It houses sacred artworks from the 17th and 18th centuries that reflect the Jesuits’ influence on the Guaraní. While the textiles draw on stories from rural Misiones, the collection points to religious art and Jesuit influence. The two themes highlight different aspects of the town’s cultural history.

Ykua Teja and Historic Connections

Ykua Teja is a water source used by the Jesuits during the reductions in the 17th century. The site is therefore connected with a specific form of water use at that time. In 2021, a person responsible for Ykua Teja reported that locals and tourists visited the site daily for recreation at the time. The two points in time—the source’s use in the 17th century and the recreational visits reported in 2021—offer different perspectives on the site’s history.

Pilgrimage Nearby

A 2013 report describes a pilgrimage to the summit of Kurusu Cerro, about 15 kilometers from the town center. According to the report, a cross there was venerated starting on Holy Thursday. At the time of the report, the pilgrimage had been held for more than 70 years; around 5,000 participants were mentioned. Kurusu Cerro is thus a point of reference for the area’s religious history, separate from the town center. The details about the tradition’s duration and attendance are from the 2013 report.

Discover more destinations: San Ignacio, Villa Florida.

For the broader travel overview: Departamento Misiones.