Initiation Well
The Initiation Well at Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal, which is classified as a World Heritage Site by Unesco within the "Cultural Landscape of Sintra".
The Initiation Wells (also called initiatic wells or inverted towers) are two wells on the property that better resemble underground towers lined with stairs. These wells never served as water sources. Instead, they were purportedly used for ceremonial purposes. The tunnels described above connect these wells to one another, in addition to various caves and other monuments located around the park.
Of the two wells, the larger one contains a 27-metre spiral staircase with 23 small niches on the side. The nine flights of stairs could be linked to the Knights Templar, which had nine founders. They might also symbolize the 9 levels of Hell from Dantes’ Inferno. At the bottom of the well is an inland stone compass with the Templar cross. Other references may be to Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism rituals.
--- en.wikipedia.org
Initiation Well
The Initiation Well at Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal, which is classified as a World Heritage Site by Unesco within the "Cultural Landscape of Sintra".
The Initiation Wells (also called initiatic wells or inverted towers) are two wells on the property that better resemble underground towers lined with stairs. These wells never served as water sources. Instead, they were purportedly used for ceremonial purposes. The tunnels described above connect these wells to one another, in addition to various caves and other monuments located around the park.
Of the two wells, the larger one contains a 27-metre spiral staircase with 23 small niches on the side. The nine flights of stairs could be linked to the Knights Templar, which had nine founders. They might also symbolize the 9 levels of Hell from Dantes’ Inferno. At the bottom of the well is an inland stone compass with the Templar cross. Other references may be to Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism rituals.
--- en.wikipedia.org