Scala Elicoidale Momo

You exit the galleries and find yourself walking inside a spiral. The floor is barely sloped, more ramp than stair, wrapping you round a tall, bright well while the balustrade coils at your side in metal and stone. Look closely and there are two paths: one ramp above the other, twisting together without ever meeting, like a built diagram of organised flow. Light drops from the glass at the top, catching the curve and the pockets of shadow in the treads. Designed in the 1930s as a modern counterpart to Bramante’s older ramp, it now serves as the Museums’ unwinding gesture at the end of the route: a slow, circling descent that feels half infrastructure, half sculpture.

If none of the museums or artefacts inside Muzei Vaticani (Vatican Museum) didn't impress you... This will! At the end your visit, going to the exit you will have to go on this 600 year old spiral double helix, staircase. Amazing architecture, amazing details and a perfect spot to take beautiful photos.

So beautiful, so epic and incredible. My issue was how challenging it felt to walk down with knee issues that I have. It looks like this ramp would be easy to walk down, but even with mild mobility issue, this was the most difficult and painful experience compared to many stair cases we walked in Rome. But oh so splendid.

Incredible staircase inside the Vatican Museums. They are one of the most photographed places in the museum. There is the original "Scala del Bramante" from 1505 which I don't have any pictures of, unfortunately. But there is also the one from 1932 designed by Giuseppe Momo, the one in the pictures. It is actually 2 staircases. It looks like one, but it is two staircases, so one can go up and the other can go down without ever coming across each other.

Wonderful design. Spiralling staircase leading to the exit from the Vatican museum. Both from above and below it looks great. An artwork in itself.

Beautiful way to end our visit to Vatican. The stairs are beautiful!

600 year old spiral staircase in the Vatican Museum. Very nice to take symmetrical photography (if you enjoy photography at all) or just take a look at an architectural beauty.

Towards the exit of Vatican museum. Very interesting and spiral designs as staircases!