ROME, Italy (WIAT) — Rome’s “Holy Stairs” also referred to as “Scala Sancta” have been uncovered for the first time in 300 years. Believers profess that Jesus walked the staircase in Jerusalem on the day of his trial and death.  The steps had been encased in wood since the 1700’s to preserve the bare, white marble underneath.

They were brought to Rome by the mother of Constantine The Great in the fourth century. The idea to reopen the stairs to the public came about while a worker was removing the wooden planks to restore them.

The reveal comes just days before Easter Sunday.
The stairs will remain on view through June.