The Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie will captivate you not only with its unusual red façade, but also with the treasure hidden within its walls: the mural *The Last Supper* by the master Leonardo da Vinci.

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The Last Supper: Leonardo da Vinci

The church, or rather the adjoining refectory (dining hall) of the Dominican monastery, houses one of the world’s most famous works of art, which attracts tourists from all over the world. We’re talking about the famous mural by Leonardo da Vinci depicting the Last Supper of Jesus and his twelve apostles.

The painting was created between 1495 and 1498.

Dimensions and technique

Da Vinci’s *The Last Supper* is a monumental painting measuring 460 x 880 cm, covering almost an entire wall of the refectory. Although it is a mural, it is not a traditional fresco. Frescoes are applied to still-wet plaster, whereas Leonardo da Vinci experimented with an innovative approach, creating the work using tempera mixed with oil on already-dried plaster stucco.

However, partly due to this technique, the painting deteriorated rapidly and was considered virtually destroyed after just 100 years. Its ruin was completed by Napoleon’s rule over Milan and the vandalism of his soldiers.

The Last Supper underwent a major restoration only in the 20th century and today can be admired in its original form, as Leonardo da Vinci created it.

An unconventional depiction

The motif of the Lord’s Last Supper was very common amongst artists, but da Vinci, unusually, chose to depict the moment before Judas had been identified as the traitor. Da Vinci’s painting captures precisely the moment when Jesus tells the apostles that one of the Twelve will betray him.

It was precisely the depiction of this moment that allowed da Vinci to imbue the figures with emotion: surprise, horror, and wild gesticulation. And thanks to these attributes, Leonardo da Vinci’s *The Last Supper* is regarded as one of the world’s greatest masterpieces of all time.

Admission and tour of The Last Supper

The painting is not part of the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie itself, but is housed in a specially designated museum calledthe Museo Cenacolo Vinciano, which is the Italian name for da Vinci’s The Last Supper.

To protect the artwork, access is restricted to a strictly limited number of visitors and is availableby prior booking only.

The easiest way to book is via the official website:cenacolovinciano.vivaticket.it. 

Bookings open four times a year, each time for the following three months.

In practice, this works as follows: for example, on 10 January, bookings open for February, March and April and remain open until all tickets are sold out. In April, bookings open for May, June, July and so on.

If you have a fixed date for your visit, we recommend checking the official website frequently to ensure you can get in. You must book tickets for a specific time; please arrive at the ticket office 30 minutes before your tour, where you will present your printed booking confirmation (showing it on your mobile is sufficient), which will be exchanged for a standard admission ticket.

• Full-price admission – 15 eur
• concessionary rate for students under 25 – 2 eur

Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie

Da Vinci’s painting is housed in the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (Our Lady of Grace), which is in its own right a significant Milanese landmark with an unusual appearance. It was built between 1463 and 1497, alongside the adjacent Dominican monastery, during the rule of the Sforza family. 

The Gothic nave, built of unusual red bricks, is complemented by a Renaissance dome and an apse in a very interesting style, featuring a covered gallery at the top of the tower.

Entry to the church is free; there is only a charge for visiting the refectory housing *The Last Supper* (see above). In 1980, the entire complex, including da Vinci’s painting, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

How to get to the church?

The church housing *The Last Supper* is situated on the western edge of the city centre on Corso Magenta, about 600 metres from Castello Sforzesco. Directly in front of the church entrance is the ‘S. Maria delle Grazie’ tram stop, served by line 16, which takes you straight to the city centre and Milan Cathedral.

The nearest metro station, Conciliazione, is situated about 350 metres to the west and is served by line M1.

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