Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte

Steps Sicily, Italy

The Caltagirone stairway consists of 142 steps. It is known as the Santa Maria del Monte staircase and represents the main feature of the city. You will be astonished looking at this unique staircase. Indeed each step is different from the others.

This staircase is enlightened every year, July 24th and 25th (for the feast of St. James, patron saint of the city), by thousands of candles. Because of the interruption of electric lighting the visual result looks like a lava flow, a bright river of fire which draws elegant decorative figures. It is the result of a master builder's ability and of his several dozen workers. Four thousand little lanterns called "lumere" form this unique fire carpet.