The Staircase of The King of Aragon

The Staircase of The King of Aragon (Escalier du Roi d’Aragon, in French) is a stony staircase carved into the vertical side of a limestone cliff in the commune of Bonifacio, in Corsica, France. It cuts across the face of the cliff at a near 45° angle and is comprised of 187 steps. From the side of the sea, it appears like a dark slanted line, and from near it appears as a tube scooped out of stone.

According to legend, the staircase was dug by the troops of the King of Aragon Alfonso V in the course of a single night during the unsuccessful siege of Bonifacio in 1420. In reality, the staircase descends to a natural spring and a cave located at the bottom of the stairway, and is believed to have been dug by the Franciscan monks long before the troops of Alfonso V set their feet on Bonifacio. Some people say the first steps were carved in Neolithic times, and it has been constantly improved since. Today you can walk down the steps, stroll along the sea and hike back up again.

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