There aren’t many things breath taking as spiral stair cases and Curved stair cases. They often have a form pleasing to the eye with a graceful ascension. Some say the earliest known spiral stair case wasbuilt in 480-470 BC at Temple A in the Greek Colony in Selinante, Sicily. There are many famous spiral staircases. The Round Tower in Copenhagen Denmark has no steps, just a spiraling promenade that rises to an observatory. It was commissioned in 1637 and is large enough for carriages, as demonstrated by Peter The Great when he drove his horses up the tower on a visit to Denmark. The Vatican museum has a double helix of some notoriety. It is often caught on film. One of the most interesting of all spiral staircases is the one in a small chapel in Santa Fe.

The Loretto Chapel was constructed for the Sisters of Loretto to be part of their school. The chapel was started in 1873 under the guiding hand of the French Architect, Antione Mouly and his son. Mouly had participated in the renovation of the Sainte Chapelle in Paris, and the Loretto Chapel was built like it on a smaller scale. Before it could be completed, the architect perished. There are some reports that he was shot by the Bishops nephew over a woman. In any case, unfinished was the way into the choir loft which was 22 feet in the air. It is believed that the original idea may have been to provide a ladder for entry. This was an unattractive option to the nuns. They requested carpenters to come up with a solution. All said it was impossible. The chapel was too small to build working stairway.

This is where the tale begins. The nuns prayed for nine days, performing a novena. They prayed to St. Joseph, the woodworkers patron saint. For over a week nothing happened. On the ninth day a man came to the chapel seeking work. With him he had a donkey carrying woodworking tools. The stranger claimed he could construct a spiral case but would need some containers of water to soak the wood.

There are accounts that he labored for 6 months. Others suggest it was done rapidly. The result was a wooden spiral staircase that made a double helix on its way to the loft. It was held together with wooden pegs, not a single nail, and had 33 steps ascending to the choir loft. The nuns were so delighted they offered a feast for the carpenter. He didn’t appear. The carpenter disappeared without a trace. He didn’t collect. The nuns placed a notice in the paper looking for him, but no one replied.

There are other curious facts. The wood used for the staircase is somewhat of a mystery. It hasn’t been identified. Some say it is made from an ancient tree unavailable in New Mexico. None of the timber suppliers had any bill of sales for the Loretto Chapel in regards to the staircase. The two compete turns was a master piece of workmanship. The spiral staircase had no visible means of support. Spiral staircases require a support structure, a center pole or fastening to solid objects like walls. Some suggest the inner radius of the stair case was narrow enough to act as its own support. Still, it is a miracle of workmanship and the Lorretto Staircase continues enchanting visitors.

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