115 學年度學測英文 第 42 題

In many old castles in Europe, visitors often find a fantastic spiral staircase, which provides a captivating focal point as it winds up the building. This prominent structure actually has a long and rich heritage.

In the Old Testament, reference is made to spiral staircases in the Temple of Solomon, suggesting that they were already in use by around 1,000 BC. The oldest spiral staircase still standing today is at Trajan's Column in Rome. The staircase was built in 113 AD, with a total of 185 steps carved in stone and marble. Around this time, spiral staircases began to find much wider use in Roman architecture and across Europe.

Throughout the Middle Ages, winding staircases became a well-established feature of European castles, mainly for their advantages in helping to defend against attackers. To begin with, these staircases were quite narrow, so attackers would have to ascend one at a time, making it impossible to launch a mass attack. Also, the stairs were designed to turn clockwise upwards. This means that ascenders would have their right hand tight against the narrowest part of the staircases, close to the central pole, and as a result were unable to use their sword effectively. The attackers' challenge was further complicated by the uneven steps of the staircase, often strategically designed by the castle owners. The defenders, living in the castles, were familiar with the stair pattern and could retreat up them very swiftly; while the attackers were much more likely to stumble and fall, particularly in the dimly lit confines of the staircase.

Being associated with medieval castles and kings, spiral staircases gradually won popularity in European architecture, with new materials emerging to cope with customers' needs. In Victorian times, cast iron spiral staircases were popular for public buildings and homes for the rich. In the latter half of the 20th century, steel frames became cost-effective, and thus affordable for a much wider staircase market. Then, steel spiral staircases as fire escape stairs appeared in many buildings. Today, spiral staircases come in a wide variety of materials: steel, wood, concrete, and recently even glass. The timeless appeal of their classical design makes spiral staircases a much-desired feature in luxury homes, offices, and public buildings nowadays.