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What thousands of years of foot traffic does to marble stairs

Popkin
Apr 20, 2026
∙ Paid

Steps in castle in Cahors, France (Jonny McCullagh/shutterstock.com)

These stairs don’t look quite up to code, but they all look well loved. This photo collection features steps that have been indented and sculpted over time by the feet of people who walk them — slowly, imperceptibly, one footfall at a time, until the stone dips in the center like a hamm…

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