07/10/2026
About 4,000 Lamps Turn a Sicilian Staircase of 142 Steps Into Fire at Night
Twice each summer, about 4,000 oil lamps turn a Sicilian staircase into a river of light. 🔥
The Scala di Santa Maria del Monte in Caltagirone has 142 steps and was built in 1606 to connect the town's old and new parts. Since 1954 its risers have been decorated with polychrome ceramic tiles, with the oldest styles at the bottom and the newest at the top. 🏺
During La Scala Illuminata, on July 24–25 and again on August 14–15, the steps are lit with about 4,000 oil lamps in honor of Saint James the Great, Caltagirone's patron saint. Thousands of visitors come to see the glowing staircase against the night sky. ✨
It is a ceramic town lit by fire, with art, devotion, and thousands of small flames climbing the same hill. 🌙
