Loretto Chapel Staircase

?? I’d like to be around in a spiral staircase to the higher ground. ?? (“Promenade,” by Bono)

The Loretto Chapel is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Now a private museum, the chapel attracts visitors from all over the world primarily because of three mysteries surrounding its spiral staircase: the identity of its builder (some believe it was St. Joseph himself), the type of wood used, and the physics of its construction. The helix-shaped staircase, built in 1877, has two 360-degree turns and rises 20 feet to the choir loft. In order to make it more stable, two small brackets have been added in the 20th century connecting the staircase to the wall and a pillar (seen in my photo). Regardless of the mystery surrounding the staircase, it is beautiful wood art work.