Staircase of the Vatican Museums

Designed in 1932 by Giuseppe Momo, the staircase is composed of two different spirals - one to walk up to the exhibits, and one to leave the museum.
When in the late ‘20s Pope Pius XI commissioned the project for the rearrangement of the Vatican Museums complex, he wanted to make a big monumental bronze staircase and he entrusted the sculptor Maraini with the creation of the model and the “Marinelli” foundry with the casting of the bronze. Mr Marinelli Sr, who had already successfully made big monumental works, received, with this superlative work, the consecration as the most important Italian artistic foundry. Subsequently, Pope John Paul II commissioned to Marinelli Foundry the production of the bronze handrail, 340 meters long, for the new entrance to the vatican Picture Gallery inaugurated during the 2000 Jubilee.