Don't slide down the banisters / myLot

Rockingham, Australia

July 12, 2025 10:27pm CST

We visited New Norcia on our recent road trip. It is named after Norcia in Italy where St Benedict and his twin sister, St Scholastica, were born. St Benedict founded the Benedictine monastic system and New Norcia is Australia’s only monastic town, presided over by the Benedictine monks. There is a huge story to be told about New Norcia but I’ll just pick out bits and pieces to tell you. The photo shows a staircase in what was once the boys’ boarding school. All the wood carving, and there is a lot of it, was done by the Spanish woodcarver Juan (John) Casellas. Can you see the very small knobs on the banister? There were put there to discourage boys from sliding down the banisters and were apparently given the name of ‘nut-crackers’, for obvious reasons.

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7 responses

MeMoneyAndLove

@abhi_bangal (6931)

• Ahmednagar, India

I never knew that the origin of this word can be so interesting. No wonder how many times you would ask kids not to slide down. They would. But not after seeing those small knobs.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (358295)

• Rockingham, Australia

I think the knobs would put them off.

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MeMoneyAndLove

@abhi_bangal (6931)

• Ahmednagar, India

@JudyEv A problem with one will make all others see sense

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (358295)

• Rockingham, Australia

@abhi_bangal Yes, I think that would be right.

Anna

@LadyDuck (478826)

• Italy

Norcia (Italy) is a beautiful small town and the place where the famous Norcia truffles grow

. I have always seen those knobs on most banisters, may be it was for the same reason.

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Anna

@LadyDuck (478826)

• Italy

Just now

@JudyEv Subiaco is another Italian city that is 160 Km north from Norcia. Norcia in southeastern Umbria, Subiaco is part of the municipality of Rome.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (358295)

• Rockingham, Australia

23m

The other Italian city that comes up in connection with New Norcia is Subiaco. Here, it's a suburb in Perth. My sister-in-law lives there. That's interesting about the knobs.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (358295)

• Rockingham, Australia

Just now

@LadyDuck I'm sure we have other cities whose names have originated in Italy - and other countries.

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rsa101

@rsa101 (39023)

• Philippines

I've also seen one in some old stairs, but I was unaware that it served that function. And now I understand why they placed it there logically. Before, when I was younger, I also liked to slide there.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (358295)

• Rockingham, Australia

It's very tempting for kids to want to slide down banisters.

vikingswest

@Vikingswest1 (6665)

• United States

Yep. A guy would only slide down once.

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vikingswest

@Vikingswest1 (6665)

• United States

@JudyEv I don't know. My three older brothers convinced me to stick my tongue on a metal fence post in January. In a twenty below zero Minnesota. Took me over an hour to convince my little sister to do it. And who got in trouble? That's right, the one with a tear on his tongue and blood stains on his jacket. I'm guessing quite a few still tried.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (358295)

• Rockingham, Australia

@Vikingswest1 Oh dear. I never gets that cold here, thank goodness. Has your sister forgiven you yet?