The Duomo – The Last Supper

If you get as far as Milan you cannot miss seeing Leonardo de Vinci’s “The Last Supper” which was painted over a period of four years on the refectory wall of the former Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

The famous mural was painted from 1495 to 1497 and it can still be seen on the same wall of the refectory which is now called Cenacolo Vinciano. Straying from the traditional fresco technique Leonardo chose to work with dry plaster as opposed to wet plaster which meant that he had to work slowly and patiently with oil pigments.

The mural has had quite a rocky history starting from before it was even dry because of the walls of the refectory that were full of moisture. In the 18th and 19th centuries the painting underwent some “touching up” which wasn’t particularly effective. Then came war and the roof of this room was blown off leaving the mural completely exposed for three years.

“The Last Supper” by Leonardo de Vinci has certainly been through a lot and has even been called “the saddest work of art in the world” but now after years of careful restoration it is a breathtaking masterpiece which deserves to be seen.

In order to make sure that you don’t miss seeing “The Last Supper” you are strongly advised to book in advance. If you are planning on visiting the church on a weekend you would be wise to book months in advance. Only one small group at a time is allowed to view the mural for 15 minutes so that people can enjoy this important work of art in peace and quiet and no photography is allowed.