Bramante Spiral Staircase in Vatican Museum, Architectural Gem

Spiral staircase at the exit of Vatican Museum is yet another architectural splendor of The Vatican City. Details of architecture and the way it has been designed is amazing.

It takes a while to understand the 2 different spiral staircases, one is meant for going up to exhibits and the other for exit.

Tourists gather around this architectural marvel, always puzzled which angle of shot would give the complete picture. You will see them stopping at various points along the staircase to get that one perfect last shot.

Yet another interesting double staircase I have seen is in Braga – the baroque double staircase with several switchbacks and landings in Braga Portugal.

Bramante Spiral Staircase in Vatican Museum, Architectural Gem

Original Bramante Staircase

This one was designed based on the original Bramante staircase in Pio-Clementine Museum, which houses several sculptures.

Original staircase was built in 1505 to a design by Donato Bramante. It connects the Belvedere Palace of Pope Innocent VIII to the outside. This staircase is within a square tower of that building. Unique pattern of the staircase allowed people and pack animals to ascend and descend without interruption.

See the ornately worked metal on the balustrade around the ramp.
Bramante Staircase in Vatican

Bramante Spiral Staircase Vatican Museum

Bramante Spiral Staircase Vatican Museum

Staircase Railing

Modern Bramante Spiral Staircase Vatican

It is a modern addition to the museum. Built in 1932, designed by Giuseppe Momo. The two staircases twist like a double helix formation.

And it was not built based on the double helical DNA strand, because the structure of the DNA-helix, the molecule that carries genetic information from one generation to the other was discovered much later in 1953.

This spiral staircase of Vatican Museum is counted among the ten amazing staircases of the world found indoors, see others here.

Don’t forget to look up after you get off this amazing staircase. A geometrically designed canopy located above provides light to illuminate the stairs.There is good lighting along the staircase too.

Staircase Ceiling

Ceiling above Bramante Spiral Staircase

Staircase Lighting

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Bramante Spiral Staircase

(this post was first written on April 4, 2011.)

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