An incredible staircase
The Loretto Chapel Staircase in Sante Fe, New Mexico is surrounded by intrigue and wonder; people come from all parts of the world to visit.
Sante Fe, the capital of New Mexico was founded by the Spanish in 1610. Originally known as the Royal City of the Holy Faith of St-Francis of Assisi, this area was first under Spanish and then Mexican rule, prior to being ceded to the United States in 1848.
The Loretto Chapel
In 1850, a new Bishop was appointed by the Church to spread the faith and expand the educational system throughout the New Mexican Territory. The Sisters of Loretto accepted his appeals for help and arrived in Sante Fe in 1852. The Academy of Our Lady of Loretta was opened in 1853 and grew to become a learning institution of more than 300 students. Through donations, tuition and inheritances, the school’s chapel was built in 1878.
Inexplicable staircase
Upon completion of the chapel, the second floor choir loft, 22 feet above the ground, was inaccessible except via ladder. Carpenters who were consulted to find a more permanent solution to this issue said there was no room for a staircase in the small chapel.
The legend states that the nuns prayed to St-Joseph, the patron Saint of Carpenters, for nine days straight and one day a man appeared seeking work. Months later, sometime between 1877 and 1881, a circular staircase with more than two 360 degree turns and standing 20 feet tall with no center support was completed. The man then disappeared.
The staircase, which leans only on its base and against the choir loft, has 33 steps with risers that are all the same height. Made of, what appears to be, extinct species of wood, the staircase was built using only square wooden pegs. This staircase, referred to as miraculous, incomprehensible and spectacular, is actually known as “St. Joseph’s staircase” as some believe that it was built by St. Joseph the Carpenter.
Rules of physics
Although some claim the Loretto Chapel staircase to be miraculous, simple rules of physics explain the seemingly impossible structure of this staircase. The staircase follows the same basic structural components of any staircase. A straight staircase has two beams, known as stair stringers, and stair treads are connected to these stringers. When the steps are set in place, the weight of the staircase is transferred through the two stringers to where they are connected to the floor.
The only difference with the Loretto Chapel staircase is that the stringers form two spirals. If the staircase was taken apart, the inner and outer stringers would be able to stand on their own. The staircase merely respects the laws of physics! What IS miraculous is that one man could erect such a beautiful, complex and detailed staircase using only manual tools and wood pegs!
If you are looking to create your own beautiful and stunning wood staircase, visit Menuiserox, a staircase manufacturer with more than 30 years of know-how. Menuiserox specializes in wood stair components such as stair treads, balusters, stringers and risers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/15/AR20100115018