The first town of the municipality of Santa María was constituted in 1840 and called "Santa María del Pedregalito"; however, due to the significant presence of archaeological remains, it can be inferred that the first settlement in this municipality dates back to pre-Hispanic times, evidence of the existence of ethnic groups of Ulúa-Matagalpa descent.
This municipality was founded in 1850.
Elaboration of clay crafts
Artistic expressions and manifestations
In the rural communities of Santa María there are different musical groups of which we can mention:
Peasant Music Group The three brothers. One of the most representative, frequently participates in the events of the municipality. Originally from the El Aguacate community.
The musical groups El Jícaro and the Luz del Sol del Rodeo group stand out.
Craft trades
Midwife or midwife: This is an old trade, they are women who attend the births of pregnant women in the community.
The healers: Specialists in the knowledge of the practices and knowledge of traditional herbal medicine, ancestral practices that are still preserved.
The artisans who work the clay.
Carpenters, like Mr. Ricardo Ordonez, who has participated in local, regional and national fairs.
Bakers and trapicheros.
Goblin cave
Legends
Old house of the Moncada ladies: Known as The House of the Moncada Ladies, because there were five sisters descending from the Spanish lineage, who did not marry, they dedicated themselves to taking care of children as foster children; when dying
Legend of the Goblins: Local people say that mocking spirits love to play pranks and bother children who have not been baptized, they appear a lot in the fields and small plots of homes, and mainly in the famous "Cueva del Duende".
The cadejo: The local population says that the cadejo is a large black dog, which scares people who wander alone at night. They describe it as a ferocious animal that sometimes just manifests itself and sometimes attacks the person.
Local characters
Don Ricardo Ordonez, from the urban area of Santa María.
Other sites of historical and cultural interest
Calpules old house: Located 25 kilometers from the town center. In the community of Los Calpules there is a very old house with features of a colonial façade, whose age is estimated by local residents to be more than 300 years old. The house has wide corridors with wooden posts, stone bases and the wood of the ceiling has not been changed, maintaining its original facade, doors and frames. It fulfills the function of a hacienda house, since the land on which it is located is an agricultural hacienda.
Lost City: Located in the community of Las Brisas, about 17 kilometers from the urban center of Santa María, the ruins of what seems to have been an indigenous town can be seen.
Crafts
Pottery and mats workshops in the community of Las Palmas and in the community of Los Planes, they make griddles, pots, jars and other kitchen utensils; they also make vegetable fiber mats.
Artisan Rigoberto Olivera: He makes rustic furniture in the Congoja community.
Artisanal cane grinding: It has been in operation since the 60s. They extract the juice of the sweet cane for the manufacture of products such as sweet panela, broth, smoothie panela and honey.
The artisanal lime mine It is located about 10 kilometers from the road to Ocotal, where lime is made by hand, a construction material that is very present in the traditional culture of this town. This activity began in 1850.
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