One of the coolest things about this chapel is the miraculous spiral staircase features two 360-degree turns with no visible means of support. The construction was inventive at the time, and still baffles experts. The sandstone and stained glass 1878 Gothic Revival chapel is a Santa Fe gem, modeled after the 13th century Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. Legend says that the sisters of Loretto were told they could only access the choir loft by ladder, as a staircase wouldn’t fit. After they prayed for nine days to the patron saint of carpenters,St Joseph, for a more elegant solution, a stranger turned up on a donkey, built the miraculous staircase, then disappeared without a trace, and without payment. Was the mysterious carpenter St Joseph himself? Deconsecrated as a Catholic chapel in 1971, Loretto Chapel is now a private museum and popular for weddings.
- Type:
Attractions & Landmarks, Other, Religious
- Credit Cards Accepted: mastercard, amex, visa
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