The Scala Sancta (English: Holy Stairs, Italian: Scala Santa) are, according to the Christian tradition, the steps that led up to the praetorium of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem, which Jesus Christ stood on during his Passion on his way to trial. The stairs were, reputedly, brought to Rome by St. Helena in the 4th century. For centuries, the Scala Santa has attracted Christian pilgrims who wished to honor the Passion of Jesus.
It consists of twenty-eight white marble steps, now encased by wooden steps, located in a building which incorporates part of the old Lateran Palace, located opposite the Basilica of Saint John Lateran. They are located next to a church which was built on ground brought from Mount Calvary. The stairs lead to the Sancta Sanctorum (English: Holy of Holies), the personal chapel of the early Popes in the Lateran palace, known as the chapel of St. Lawrence. The building belongs to the properties of the Holy See.
Read more about Scala Sancta: History, Decoration, Scala Sancta in The Catholic Church, Copies of The Scala Sancta Around The World, Trivia
Famous quotes containing the word scala:
“At La Scala it is customary to take no more than twenty minutes for those little visits one pays to boxes.”
—Stendhal [Marie Henri Beyle] (1783–1842)