There is a staircase in the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, NM, which is famous for its “Miraculous staircase, a spiral staircase with a fascinating history and unique construction.
When the Loretto Chapel was completed in 1878, there was no way to access the choir loft, twenty- two feet above. The sisters of the Loretto Chapel wanted a staircase and spoke to many carpenters and none of them said the staircase was possible due to the small space.
Legend has it that to find a solution the sisters made a novena to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. On the ninth and final day of prayer, a man appeared at the chapel with a donkey and a toolbox looking for work.
The stranger locked himself inside the chapel and worked. Months later, the elegant circular staircase was completed, and the carpenter disappeared without regard to pay. The sisters ran an ad in the local paper trying to find him, and there was no trace. They concluded that St Joseph himself built that staircase.
Also, there are some unusual attributes of the staircase are: There are no nails or glue, the carpenter only used wooden pegs to secure the steps together, and for hundreds of years this staircase, which goes against the rules of physics. And the wood used for the stairs was sent off for analysis and the results showed it to be spruce, but an unspecified subspecies. What was determined is there is no wood like that in New Mexico or any of the surrounding states. The closest place one can find this is in Alaska, 3728 miles away, and back then there wasn’t a way for wood to be transported such a long distance.
Whatever the case, this staircase has become a treasure to the world and to me, and it continues to inspire awe and curiosity, blending elements of faith, mystery, and architectural magic.
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