The Miraculous Stairs of Chapel of Saint Loretto

The story of the miraculous stairs in the Chapel of Saint Loretto, Santa Fe, Mexico, started in 1850 when the chapel was nearly completed, and the nuns realized that they would need stairs to access the choir loft, 22 feet above. The problem was that as the chapel was so small, there were no way to build stairs without taking too much space, and climbing a ladder would be a great difficulty for the sisters. So, that was when according to the legend, the sisters started a nine day pray to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters, seeking an answer to their architectural design dilemma; on the ninth day of the prayers, a man came to the chapel with a donkey and a toolbox looking for work. Months after the beautifully well done circular staircase was completed, the man disappeared without leaving a trace. The legend says it was St. Joseph himself. No one knows for sure who the carpenter was, but the staircase is a wonder: it was build with a wood unknown to the region; there were no nails anywhere and no glue; the stairs have two 360 degree turns and no support of any kind; added to that the designs perplexes experts because the wood and other materials are gorgeous and they are not available from any known local source.