Another Church In The Vicinity Contains La Scala Santa Or Holy
Staircase Of Marble Which, According To The Tradition, Adorned Pontius
Pilate's Palace At Jerusalem, And On Which Identical Staircase Jesus Christ
Ascended To Be Interrogated By Pilate.
The tradition further says that it
was transported to Rome by Angels.
This staircase has twenty-eight steps,
and no one is allowed to mount it except on his knees. Nobody ever descends
it, but there are two other escaliers parallel to it, one on the right
hand, the other on the left, by which you descend in the usual manner. Not
being aware of this ceremony, I, on entering the edifice, began to ascend
the escalier which was nearest to me, which proved to be the Scala
Santa, for no sooner had I begun to ascend it as I would any other flight
of steps than two or three voices screamed out: "Signore! O signore! a
ginocchia; o'e la scala santa!" I asked what was meant and was then told
the whole story, and that it was necessary to mount this staircase on one's
knees or not at all. This I did not think worth the trouble, being quite
contented with beholding it. The marble of this staircase is much worn by
the number of devout people who ascend it in this manner, and this
ceremony, aided by a quantum suff of faith is no doubt of great efficacy.
The fourth church in estimation, and I believe the next ancient in Rome to
St John Lateran, is the church of San Paolo fuor della mura, so called
from its being situated outside the gates of the city.
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