Having been a big fan of fairy tales when I was growing up, I find the intersection of ordinary life with the extraordinary immensely satisfying. Cinderella, for example, was just a sweet, simple girl who was mistreated by her stepmother. A sad tale, but it was only mildly interesting until it was spiced up by the entrance of her fairy godmother.
Later I discovered Gabriel Garcia Marquez and realized I was also a fan of Magical Realism. Now that I think of it, I should go back and re-read his stories and novels, especially the stories. A skilled artist should illustrate them for children of all ages. “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” and “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” would be a good place to start.
But back to New Mexico. Since 1941, it has been known as the Land of Enchantment. In 1999, the nickname became official. The first meaning of enchant is to bewitch. So it’s not surprising that in a short trip to New Mexico I heard some tales about extraordinary happenings.
The first tale we heard was a sad one. In Taos Pueblo our guide told us about St. Jerome Church being destroyed along with all the people in it by the US Army. Despite that terrible destruction, the statue of the Virgin Mary survived. The people mourned the massacre, but they assigned some meaning to the statue’s survival and placed it at the center of the altar in the new St. Jerome Church. Perhaps they thought of it as a symbol of hope. I wish the people hadn’t been massacred, though.
After three nights in our beautiful hotel in Taos, two of my daughters flew home and the other one and I moved to Santa Fe where we shopped and visited art galleries and various tourist sites. One of our stops was a landmark with an interesting history, the Loretto Chapel.
The story of the chapel began in 1852 when seven Sisters of Loretto were asked by their bishop to move from Kentucky to the frontier town of Santa Fe and set up a girls’ school. It wasn’t an easy trip. On the way, they encountered a cholera epidemic. The mother superior died and another sister became too sick to continue. The remaining five sisters traveled by boat and then wagon through bad weather and Indian country. After arrival, they set up a school, and, despite other problems–smallpox, tuberculosis, and leaky mud roofs–the school flourished.
In 1873, work began on their chapel. Not being fans of adobe churches, they had the chapel patterned after Saint-Chapelle in Paris. The stained glass they ordered from Paris arrived in New Orleans by sailing ship, went by paddle boat to St. Louis and then by covered wagon along the Santa Fe Trail. It’s a miracle the glass arrived at all.
But the miracle for which the chapel is famous is its staircase. It all began, as I suppose many miracles do, with a miscalculation. The designer made no plans for a staircase to the choir loft and no space in which to build one.
So the sisters made a novena to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. And on the ninth day, the final day of their prayers, a man with a toolbox rode up on a donkey. He set to work building the magnificent staircase, and when it was finished, he disappeared without asking for a penny.
The twenty-foot-tall staircase was built without nails or a center support. People have theorized about how miraculous its construction may or may not be. But I can attest that it’s a beautiful work of craftsmanship.
And it does make a good story.
P.S. The mysterious carpenter didn’t build handrails, so until another craftsman built bannisters, some of the girls and sisters descended on their hands and knees. I can’t imagine going down this staircase without a hand rail.
Wonderful photos and fascinating stories Nicki…
I love New Mexico. I love the American SW. I almost moved to Taos actually! I went on a scouting mission there to see if I could do it. But at the time, it was just a wee too small and I wasn’t sure what kind of work I’d be able to do. It also didn’t have many younger people like me; I wonder if it’s changed?
Enjoyed the staircase story – there is surely a metaphor in there, too!
I think you’re right, Lani. Taos is too small for most people, only 5700 people. Artists who wanted to get away from everything and view beautiful landscape put Taos on the map. It started in 1898. Santa Fe would be more livable. It has about 70,000 residents and lots of things going on. I felt really comfortable walking around there. I ran into some people who’d moved to Santa Fe from Seattle, and they loved it. Of course, it’s a huge tourist and art town. I understand it’s the 3rd largest art market in the US after NY and LA. The galleries are fantastic, and the art comes from all over the world, mainly the US.
I considered Santa Fe but decided it was to “California” for me. Hahahaha. But I didn’t really give it a look or a chance. Interesting note though, I’m sure it is a lovely city.
Amazing staircase, Nicki. Makes one wonder . . .
Wonder is a wonderful thing.
I think that more than the construction of the staircase, the real miracle is that the stained glass arrived in one piece all the way from France, haha!
It’s surprising that they would even think of ordering stained glass from France in those days. But then, so many beautiful buildings that were built early in the history of the Old West used materials that either came overland on wagons or by ship around the tip of South America.
Wow. That staircase is pretty incredible. And it comes with a spectacular story, too. 🙂
I wonder if the builder of the staircase did some math to figure out how to cut the pieces. I remember the time I put in vinyl tile in the bathroom and didn’t plan ahead. I thought I could judge with my eye how to cut around the toilet.
Nicki, fascinating stories from the Land of Enchantment. I’m awed by Loretto Chapel! Imagine the effort to source the design of the building and the window from France and as you say, amazing it stayed in tact! the staircase is lovely and I’m touched by the story of its creation – masterful craftsmanship! Thank goodness the rails were added, though!
I should have added some close-up photos of the staircase. It was beautiful craftsmanship. A movie was made about the “miracle” of the staircase. It’s called The Staircase.
That’s wonderful that a movie was made about it … it looks lovely just from the start and will try to find a good copy of it. Thanks for letting me know!
I haven’t watched the movie, but I had heard about it.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos of the incredible stories behind them. I’m petrified of heights so there’s no way I could go on those stairs with our without a railing. 🙂
It’s fun to see the sights, even better to hear the stories behind them. I’m still amazed to think of the Sisters of Loretto traveling by wagon over dirt roads to a frontier post where nothing existed that they were familiar with and then not may years later building (or having built) the beautiful chapel.
Great stories, Nicki! And thank you for sharing your photos. I can’t imagine going up that staircase without a rail also!
Going up the staircase wouldn’t be nearly as bad as going down. I can’t imagine being able to do it.