Description:

Legend and mystery surround the Loretto Chapel, a Gothic Revival structure completed in 1878. The stories surround the creation of the magnificent spiral staircase that connects the two floors of the chapel, built by a man whose name was unknown, or has since been forgotten, and using a technique that used no support system to hold up the weight of the stairs or its climbers. Primarily used for weddings and open for public visitation, the chapel is in downtown Santa Fe, a few blocks south of the Palace of the Governors and the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi.