The Holy Staircase, part of a complex called the Sanctuary of the Holy Staircase in the immediate vicinity of the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, is the most famous and visited holy staircase in the world, pilgrimage destination by hundreds of thousands of Catholics every year. The pious legend, of medieval origin, states that it is the same staircase climbed by Jesus, which was transported to Rome by Saint Helena Empress, mother of Constantine I, in 326.