The Vatican city has announced that it is going to unveil its holy stairs which is believed to have been walked up by Jesus before his judgment by Pontius Pilate. The display will be an experience of once-in-a-life time because the holy city is availing the opportunity for the first time in 300 years.
So this Spring a visit to the Vatican City is definitely not to be missed for this golden chance.
Vatican, the holy state is surrounded by Rome and Italy, is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. It’s home to the Pope and a treasurer of iconic art and architecture. Within the city there are numerous attractions to visit.
But this time all the eyes are fixed on the holy stairway (Scala Sancta in Latin). It is treated holy because people accept that at the time of crucifixion, the steps got stained with drops of Jesus’s blood. Pilgrims who visit the steps should ascend on their knees, kissing the blood-stained spots that is now marked with medieval crosses.
These original marble staircase has been covered by planks of walnut wood for the past 300 years. Now it is going to be uncovered and will be accessible for the pilgrims until June 9, 2019. Then the covers will be repositioned for the stairway’s further protection. This walnut wood covering was decided by Pope Innocent XIII in 1723 when he realized the steps could no longer tolerate the wear of thousands of pilgrims’ visits.
After a yearlong restoration project, it is reopening to the public now and along with the holy staircase, the visitors will enjoy newly restored frescoes on the walls and ceilings.Pilgrims in line to enter the Pontifical Sanctuary of the Holy Stairs in Rome, Italy.
Experiencing a climb on the staircase, one pilgrim expressed, “I already did it when it was wooden steps but it’s much more moving now. If you think about the fact that Jesus was here, and where he was held and where he suffered, it’s very emotional.”
It is believed that the 28-step staircase was taken from Pontius Pilate’s home in Jerusalem in the fourth century and brought to Rome by St. Helena. During a special opening, in Rome the Catholic Church announced that it is the stair on which Jesus Christ stepped leading on his way to the crucifixion.
At the end of the staircase pilgrims enter the Sancta Sanctorum, a room that was once the Pope’s private chapel and contains several relics of saints. A visit to an important Catholic relic and a faithful kneel on the newly restored Holy Stairs is considered as a lifetime experience.
The stairs can be visible until June 9, 2019 according to the Vatican.
