Scala Santa di Loreto

Loreto's Scala Santa is a devotional staircase built in 1941 on the hillside below the town's Marian sanctuary.

Why it matters

The staircase was created to serve the tradition of pilgrimage to Loreto. Its shrines and bronze reliefs transform a practical approach to the hilltop town into a sequence of devotional images.

What to notice

Fifteen small shrines along the staircase contain bronze reliefs depicting the mysteries of the Rosary, by sculptor Guarino Roscioli. A terrace near the upper end overlooks the Adriatic coast. The adjacent Polish military cemetery preserves the memory of soldiers of the Polish II Corps who died during the Second World War.

Context and history

The Scala Santa was built in 1941 to shorten the ascent between the railway station and Loreto's historic centre. It was dedicated to the memory of those who died for their country. The nearby Polish military cemetery was laid out in the post-war period for members of the Polish II Corps, who fought in Italy during the Second World War.