Miraculous Staircase Story
Legend of the loretto chapel staircase the story.
Miraculous staircase story. The identity of its builder the type of wood used and the physics of its construction. The construction of the chapel began in 1873. The sisters of loretto credited st. Renowned french architect antoine mouly was brought from france and entrusted with the chapel s design and construction.
The rare wood is not native to the american southwest. On the final day of the novena a carpenter appeared with only a hammer and carpenter s square. The first mystery is that to. Miraculous stairway of loretto chapel santa fe the world is a book.
The inner stringer is of such small radius that it acts as a central pole. Despite mouly s death the main work on the chapel was completed in 1878. Joseph with its construction. The legend maintains that engineers cannot understand how the staircase still stands without central support but none of that is the case.
On that cool december morning in 1878 sunlight lay like an amber rug across the dusty streets and adobe houses of santa fe new mexico. He built what is now known as the miraculous staircase with simple tools and wooden pegs. The builders were left with a quandary however. On the 9th day of prayer a visitor arrived at their door with his mule and some tools.
When the staircase was complete it is said that the carpenter disappeared without receiving thanks or payment. Since then the staircase was called miraculous and the site for pilgrimages. Three mysteries surround the spiral staircase in the loretto chapel. When the loretto chapel was completed in 1878 there was no way to access the choir loft twenty two feet above.
It has been the subject of legend and the circumstances surrounding its construction and its builder were considered miraculous by the sisters of loretto. Joseph the patron saint of carpenters to help with a solution for the chapel stairs. The construction of the miraculous staircase. There was no means of access to the choir loft little or no room for a staircase and no one had the slightest idea how mouly had intended to address the challenge.
The staircase does have primary support in the form of an inner wood stringer. Unfortunately mouly s sudden death prevented him from completing the project. Inside the gothic structure is a beautiful and mysterious staircase. However there is nothing miraculous about the staircase as master carpenters historians and scientists will tell you.
There are three mysteries about this staircase says the spokesman of the chapel. The loretto chapel santa fe new mexico is one of the city s famous attraction. The most remarkable part of the chapel is definitely its spiral staircase. The loretto chapel santa fe new mexico is one of the city s famous attraction.