Right before lunch we visited Scala Sancta (the "Holy Staircase"), which consists of the 28 steps that were the actual staircase of Pilates's house, which Jesus descended after being condemned. St. Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, is said to have brought the stairs to Rome from the Holy Land in 326AD. Only the devout are allowed to climb the Holy Staircase, and only on their knees. This has been one of the most moving experiences for many of the pilgrims so far. After lunch we drove outside the city walls for a tour of the Catacombs, which were dug out 4-6 stories below ground and housed more than 500,000 Christian tombs.
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