From the external staircase, you reach the jewel of the abbey, the chapel of S. Luca, completed in 1255. Here, the relics of the distinguished evangelist Luca were kept. The parapet is topped by a handrail in the shape of a snake with an apple in its mouth, symbolizing the eternal struggle between good and evil. In Christian symbolism, the staircase represents both the connection between heaven and earth (Jacob’s ladder) and the prayer and asceticism that allow the soul to ascend to God (the ladder to Paradise). Have you tried counting the steps? Have you placed your hand on the snake-shaped handrail?