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Holy Stairs And Sancta Sanctorum

The Steps Jesus Took to His Trial

The Holy Stairs refers to the 28 marble steps that Jesus walked during his trial and were carried from Jerusalem to Rome in the 4th century for preservation. The Church of Sancta Sanctorum, located at the top of the Holy Stairs, was once the Pope's private chapel and contains numerous religious relics and icons.

The Holy Stairs, also known as the Scala Sancta, refers to the 28 marble steps that Jesus walked down on his way to his trial in Pilate’s palace. The Holy Steps were brought back to Rome from Jerusalem in the 4th century AD by the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great.

Originally placed in the Pope's Lateran Palace, the Holy Stairs and the Chapel of Sancta Sanctorum were moved by papal decree in 1589 from the palace after a fire, to their present location a block away.

The faithful who wish to follow in the footsteps of Jesus must Ascend the Holy Stairs in a Kneeling Position to show their reverence and devotion to the Lord. The walls and ceiling of the stairway are painted with religious paintings of the Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus. For the protection of the Holy Steps, a layer of wooden boards for reinforcement was installed on the marble surface.

Manywhere Tips:
Visitors who do not wish to kneel to ascend the stairs can use another walking staircase.

At the top of the Holy Stairs is the Pope’s former private chapel, the Sancta Sanctorum (Chapel of the Holy of Holies). The chapel’s Ark of the Covenant contains numerous Catholic relics, such as the bones of saints, gold and silver vessels, fabrics and liturgical objects. There is also an icon of Christ Pantocrator, known as the Veronica, in the chapel, which is supposedly begun by Saint Luke and finished by an angel.

Next to the Sancta Sanctorum, there are Chapel of St. Lawrence, Chapel of the Crucifixion and the Chapel dedicated to Pope Sylvester. a chapel dedicated to Pope Sylvester I. Most of them are painted with frescoes and decorated with statues of the Crucifixion and the Passion, reminding people of the suffering Jesus endured for the world.