The wooden casing that covered the Holy Stairs in Rome for the past 300 years has been temporarily removed to allow for restoration and, until June 9, it will be possible to see the marble stairs that, according to the Catholic Church, Jesus climbed on his way to crucifixion.
One of the most visited sites in Rome by pilgrims and the devout, who walk up the 28 steps on their knees, the Holy Stairs, also known as Scala Sancta, are said to come from Pontius Pilate’s palace in Jerusalem, and that Jesus walked up the steps on his way to trial, before he was crucified.
According to the Catholic tradition, Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine – the first Christian emperor - brought the stairs to Rome in the 4th century after a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Pope Innocent XIII ordered the stairs to be covered in walnut wood in 1723 to protect them from the wear caused by the millions of pilgrims climbing them to honor the passion of Christ, to gain indulgences, or to pray for help in difficult times or a cure for illness.
When the boards were removed, many notes, photographs and coins left by pilgrims were found. The frescoes on the walls and ceilings have also been restored.
Three crosses on the steps mark the spots where Jesus’ blood is said to have fallen, which pilgrims often kiss as they ascend the stairs on their knees before they reach the Sancta Sanctorum chapel or “Holy of Holies” (once the personal chapel of the early Popes) at the top.
The Holy Stairs are located next to the Archbasilica of Saint John in Lateran and are a property of the Holy See, part of the old Lateran Palace, the main papal residence from the 4th century for about 1,000 years until the seat moved to the Vatican.
Some disagree that the stairs, whose restoration was funded by the charity Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums, really come from the palace of Pontius Pilates.
The Holy Stairs are at Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano, 14 and are open daily from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. (check the website for variations). It is free to climb the stairs.
The Sancta Sanctorum is open every day except Sundays and holidays, 9:30 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 5:10 p.m. The ticket costs €3.50 per person.
