The Last Supper | Milan

Information

Landmark: The Last Supper
City: Milan
Country: Italy
Continent: Europe

The Last Supper, Milan, Italy, Europe

The Last Supper (L'Ultima Cena) is a late 15th-century mural painting by Leonardo da Vinci. It is housed in the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie and is recognized as one of the most significant works in Western art history.

Visual Characteristics

The mural measures approximately $460\text{ cm} \times 880\text{ cm}$ ($180\text{ in} \times 350\text{ in}$). It depicts the moment Jesus announces that one of his apostles will betray him. The composition is noted for its mastery of perspective, with all lines converging at Christ's head. Unlike traditional frescoes, Leonardo used experimental tempera and oil on a dry wall, which resulted in a matte, luminous finish but led to rapid physical deterioration.

Location & Access Logistics

Located in the Piazza di Santa Maria delle Grazie, 2.

Public Transit: Metro M1 (Red) or M2 (Green) to "Cadorna"; Tram 16.

Entry: Access is strictly regulated. Visitors must pass through several air-filtration chambers to stabilize the microclimate.

Mandatory Booking: Tickets must be reserved months in advance. Only 25 to 30 people are permitted inside the refectory at one time for a maximum of 15 minutes.

Accessibility: The refectory and church are wheelchair accessible.

Historical & Ecological Origin

Commissioned by Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, as part of a renovation of the convent between 1495 and 1498. Because Leonardo did not use the traditional buon fresco technique (painting on wet plaster), the work began to flake within decades of completion. It survived a 1943 Allied bombing that destroyed the rest of the refectory and underwent a major 21-year scientific restoration completed in 1999.

Key Highlights & Activities

Psychological Realism: The painting is famous for the varied emotional reactions of the apostles, categorized in groups of three.

Cenacolo Vinciano Museum: The ticketed area includes educational displays on the restoration process and the historical context of the Dominican convent.

Santa Maria delle Grazie: The adjacent church, a UNESCO World Heritage site, features a prominent tribune designed by Donato Bramante.

Infrastructure & Amenities

The museum area is climate-controlled and features 4G/5G connectivity, though phone usage is discouraged during the viewing. There is a specialized bookshop and restrooms on-site. The immediate surrounding area of Corso Magenta contains numerous high-end cafes and restaurants.

Best Time to Visit

Visits are exclusively based on fixed timed-entry slots. Weekday slots are generally easier to secure than weekends. Early morning slots (08:15) are optimal to avoid the buildup of crowds in the plaza area outside the museum.

Facts & Legends

The painting does not contain a chalice on the table, despite it representing the institution of the Eucharist. A door was cut through the bottom of the mural in 1652, removing Christ's feet. Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code popularized the theory that the figure to Christ’s right is Mary Magdalene; however, art historians identify the figure as a youthful John the Apostle.