Ara Coeli Staircase

This steep flight of 124 marble steps climbs the Capitoline Hill to the basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, and was built in the mid-fourteenth century as a public offering, reputedly in thanks for the passing of a plague. The wide, austere staircase rises directly from the street, its blocks salvaged from ancient buildings. Beside it, the gentler ramp designed by Michelangelo leads to the Campidoglio square, offering a contrast between medieval penance and Renaissance grandeur.