Scala Santa

Map
Pontifical Sanctuary of the Holy Stairs, Rome
Pontifical Sanctuary of the Holy Stairs
The Scala Santa is a flight of twenty-eight marble steps, which purportedly led up to the praetorium of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem. The faithful believe these are the very steps Christ climbed when he appeared before Pilate, who was the prefect in the Roman province of Judaea. 
The Holy Stairs (Scala Santa) in Rome
Scala Santa
According to legend, the Scala Sancta was brought to Rome, circa 326, by St Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, and once formed part of the old Lateran Palace. In 1589, Pope Sixtus V (r. 1585-90) had the steps reconstructed in their present position, leading up to the Sancta Sanctorum (Holy of Holies), the personal chapel of the early popes.  

The faithful ascend the Scala Santa on their knees. In the early part of the 18th century, the steps were encased in wood to protect the marble.   

The building (1589) which houses the Scala Santa was designed by Domenico Fontana, who built the nearby Palazzo Laterano. An inscription on the facade proclaims: SIXTVS V FECIT SANCTORIQ LOLO SCALAM SANCTAM POSVIT (Sixtus V made this and placed the Holy Staircase in a holier place). ​