Scala Regia (Vatican)

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Scala Regia, or the Royal Staircase, is a famous set of steps in Vatican City and part of the official entrance to the Apostolic Palace. It was built in the early 16th century by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and was later restored and dramatically redesigned by Gian Lorenzo Bernini between 1663 and 1666. The stairs connect the Portone di Bronzo on St. Peter’s Square to the Sala Regia, which then leads to the Sistine Chapel and the Pauline Chapel. Visitors are allowed to climb the staircase to enter the Sala Regia.

Bernini’s design creates a theatrical Baroque effect: a barrel-vaulted colonnade that narrows toward the end to heighten the sense of distance. At the start of the vista, the arch bears the coat of arms of Pope Alexander VII, flanked by sculpted angels. At the bottom sits Bernini’s equestrian statue of Emperor Constantine the Great, commemorating the moment he reportedly saw a cross and heard the words “In hoc signo vinces” before the Battle of Milvian Bridge.

The scene sends a message about the Pope’s power and divine favor, a reminder to visiting monarchs and cardinals that Christ’s authority guides the Church. This theme appears in other Vatican works, such as Giulio Romano’s Battle of Milvian Bridge in the Sala di Costantino and Algardi’s Fuga d’Attila relief in St. Peter’s. Later, Pope Clement XI added a statue of Charlemagne at the opposite end of the portico as a pendant to Constantine.