Momo Staircase History & How to See It
The Vatican Museums spiral staircase — officially the Momo Staircase, designed by architect Giuseppe Momo in 1932 — is a double-helix staircase at the exit of the Vatican Museums on Viale Vaticano. Two helical ramps wind around the same central void simultaneously, one going up and one going down, so that ascending and descending visitors never meet. The view from below, looking up through the spiralling ramps, produces the photograph that appears on social media more than almost any other Vatican Museums image. It is seen at the exit of every standard Vatican Museums visit — no separate ticket or detour required.
The Momo Staircase is one of the most photographed architectural features in Rome — and one of the most misunderstood. Many visitors assume it is ancient or Renaissance; it was in fact designed in 1932 by an Italian architect and is a confident piece of early-20th-century engineering. Its fame rests almost entirely on a single photograph: the view from directly below, looking up through the two intertwining helical ramps. This photograph has been reproduced and shared more widely than almost any architectural image from the Vatican.
This guide covers the staircase’s history and design, where to find it, how to photograph it, and the distinction between the Momo Staircase and the earlier Bramante Staircase — two spiral staircases at the Vatican that are frequently confused.
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The Momo Staircase was designed by Giuseppe Momo (1875–1940), an Italian architect who served as the Vatican’s official architect from 1924 to 1936. It was completed in 1932 and originally served as both an entrance and an exit ramp — the ascending ramp bringing visitors up from street level, the descending ramp returning them. Today only the descending ramp is used by visitors; the ascending ramp has been converted to other uses. The staircase is 7.6 metres in diameter and approximately 20 metres tall, with two continuous helical ramps sharing the same circular void.
The double-helix form — two intertwining spirals sharing a central axis — is the defining feature of the Momo Staircase. The two ramps are separated throughout their length; they never meet. The ascending ramp completes one full revolution before it meets the descending ramp at the same height, and continues winding separately. From below, the two ramps appear to interweave in a complex geometric pattern — the visual effect that has made the staircase famous.
Momo’s design was inspired by Bramante’s earlier staircase in the Vatican (see below) but is not a copy — where Bramante’s is a gentle inclined ramp designed for horses, Momo’s is a proper staircase with steps, handrails, and a much steeper helical pitch. The decorative ironwork on the handrails — wrought and cast iron with figural motifs — is period-correct Art Nouveau detail from the late Momo.
The photograph that made the Momo Staircase famous is taken from directly below the staircase, looking straight up through the two intertwining helical ramps to the circular skylight at the top. To take it: stop at the base of the exit staircase, position yourself in the very centre of the circular void, point your camera or phone directly upward, and shoot. The two helical ramps create a hypnotic spiral pattern converging on the circular light source above.
There are two notable spiral staircases at the Vatican Museums. The Momo Staircase (1932) is the exit staircase — a double-helix with steps and iron handrails, the famous photographed staircase seen at the end of every Vatican Museums visit. The Bramante Staircase (c.1505) is a separate, older structure — a broad spiral ramp (no steps, originally designed for horses and mules carrying Vatican supplies) inside the Cortile della Pigna tower, not part of the standard visitor route. The Bramante Staircase is only accessible on specific guided tours. The two are frequently confused in social media posts — the Momo Staircase is what most visitors photograph.
| Momo Staircase (1932) | Bramante Staircase (c.1505) | |
|---|---|---|
| Designer | Giuseppe Momo | Donato Bramante (attributed) |
| Date | 1932 | c.1505 |
| Type | Double-helix with steps | Single-helix ramp (no steps) |
| Access | All visitors — at the exit | Specific guided tours only |
| Famous for | The ‘looking up’ photograph | Architectural history; Renaissance design |
| Location | Exit on Viale Vaticano | Cortile della Pigna tower |
The Bramante Staircase — designed around 1505 by Donato Bramante for Pope Julius II — is a spiral ramp (rather than a staircase with steps) that winds around a central column inside the tower of the Belvedere Courtyard. It was designed so that horses and mules carrying supplies to the Vatican could ascend and descend without the complications of steps. The ramp is decorated with Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian pilasters at successive levels — an architectural demonstration of the three orders of classical architecture. It is accessible only on specific Vatican Museums tours that include the Cortile della Pigna area.
The famous spiral staircase at the exit of the Vatican Museums is the Momo Staircase, designed by Giuseppe Momo in 1932. It is a double-helix staircase — two helical ramps sharing the same central void, one ascending and one descending. The view from below looking up is one of the most widely shared architectural photographs from Rome.
No — the Momo Staircase is inside the Vatican Museums exit and is only accessible with a Vatican Museums ticket. You see it at the end of every standard Vatican Museums visit.
Modern — the Momo Staircase was designed in 1932 by architect Giuseppe Momo. It is frequently assumed to be ancient or Renaissance because of its setting within the Vatican complex, but it is a 20th-century structure.
Stand directly below the staircase at its base, position yourself in the centre of the circular void, and point your camera or phone straight up. A wide-angle setting captures the full circular form. The view is available to all visitors at the exit of the Museums.
The Bramante Staircase (c.1505) is a Renaissance ramp — no steps, designed for horses, accessible only on specific tours. The Momo Staircase (1932) is the double-helix exit staircase all visitors see at the end of their visit — the one in the famous photograph.
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