Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper is housed in Santa Maria Delle Grazie, a cavernous church in downtown Milan. The painting is one of the most famous works of art in history, and the building it’s housed in has been recognised as a World Heritage Site. A visit to The Last Supper is a must-do for art and history enthusiasts.
The mural was painted in the 15th century and almost destroyed when Santa Maria Delle Grazie was bombed during World War II. Luckily, sandbags used to protect the precious artwork meant it was saved, and today hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world see the painting each year. The mural is surprisingly large in size: about 460 centimetres by 880 centimetres (180 inches by 350 inches) and is housed in the church refectory behind sliding glass doors.
Buy tickets in advance to see The Last Supper, either through a travel agent or on the official website. Tours are taken in small groups and are generally booked out well in advance. Get there early on the day to ensure you don’t miss your tour, as these are run to a tight schedule. Tours are run in Italian, but headsets translate the information into several different languages. Learn about the symbolism behind the painting and why it’s one of the most important cultural sites in Italy.
Stand beneath the ceiling of the church itself to study the intricate designs that decorate its enormous interior. See frescoes by Gaudenzio Ferrari in the chapel and patterns etched into the arch of the Gothic nave. Take a seat on a pew and enjoy a moment of quiet reflection. The interior of the church remains a steady temperature year-round, making it cool in summer and a great place to escape chilly winds during winter.
Outside, study the church and convent, which are great examples of the Renaissance architecture Italy is famous for.The church is open every day and admission is free. Get there by tram, which stops just outside the doors, or pay to park in the streets nearby.
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