The Josaphat steps

The Josaphat staircase takes its name from the valley located east of Jerusalem, near the Mount of Olives, and crossed by the Cedron, a watercourse represented in Romans by the Savasse torrent which is now covered.

In 1516, a rich merchant from Romans by the name of Romanet Boffin founded a Stations of the Cross in Romans and erected several chapels in the streets of the city. Quite naturally, the Romans then named several places in reference to the Stations of the Cross or to the City of Jerusalem.

This is how the Josaphat staircase takes its name from the valley situated to the east of Jerusalem, near the Mount of Olives, and crossed by the Cédron, a watercourse represented in Romans by the Savasse torrent covered today.

The Mount of Olives itself gave its name to the Montolivet hill, at the foot of the Hatter hill. There are stations called “The Mount of Olives” and “The Prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Olives”.