Santa Maria Cathedral, Metropolitan cathedral in Santa Maria, Brazil

The Cathedral of Nossa Senhora da Conceição is a church in Santa Maria featuring neoclassical design with baroque touches throughout its structure. The interior shows wooden carved altars and colored glass windows from Casa Genta that fill the space with colored light.

Construction began in 1902 under parish priest Caetano Pagliuca and the church opened in 1909, replacing a 19th-century parish church that was demolished. It became a cathedral in 1910. In 2002 it was listed as heritage of Santa Maria, and in 2011, when the diocese became an archdiocese, it took the name Metropolitan Cathedral.

The interior walls display murals by artist Aldo Locatelli showing scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. These paintings shape how the space feels and tell religious stories through images that cover the walls.

The building remains open for regular worship services, weddings, and special events and serves as the main religious seat of the city. Visitors should know the space is used mainly for religious activities and respectful behavior is expected.

The bell in the campanile came from an old Jesuit mission and dates to 1684; it was installed in the tower in 1911. The cathedral was listed as Santa Maria's historic heritage in 2002. Two bishops, Antônio Reis and Luís Victor Sartori, were buried here until 2024, when their remains were moved to the bishops' memorial at the Basílica da Medianeira.