Bramante Staircase

Two staircases in the Vatican carry the name. The one visitors use is the double-helix ramp built by Giuseppe Momo in 1932 at the museum exit, two intertwined spirals so that people going down never meet people coming up, with a bronze balustrade winding the whole way. The original of 1505, by Bramante himself, is in the Belvedere and is not on the public route.

What you actually see

• The double helix - two spirals so up and down traffic never meet.
• The bronze balustrade - the rail winding the full height.
• The view down the well - the shot everyone stops to take.
• The 1932 date - a modern staircase named for a Renaissance architect.

When to go

November to March is the quietest window. The exit crowd is heaviest in the early afternoon. Closed on Sundays except the last of the month.

Honest expectations

It is at the exit, so you get one pass at it while everyone else is leaving too. The original Bramante staircase is not open to general visitors. Stopping to photograph blocks the flow and staff move people on.

Nearby

The museum entrance is north, and St Peter's Square is south.