Twenty-eight marble steps said to be those Christ climbed to face Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem, brought to Rome by St. Helena (mother of Constantine) in the 4th century. The marble is protected under wooden boards; the faithful ascend on their knees — the only way the steps may be climbed. At the top is the Sancta Sanctorum, the pope's private chapel containing medieval relics.
Whether or not you share the belief, the Scala Sancta is one of the oldest and most atmospheric pilgrimage sites in Rome. Near the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano.