The Last Supper Milan
L’Ultima Cena
Leonardo da Vinci is one the most notable painters in history. Most of his brilliant works have survived throughout the centuries, and one is the famous The Last Supper. It is painted on the wall of Church of Santa Maria dell Grazie in Milan, Italy. The painting depicts a scene in the bible when Jesus revealed to his disciples that one of them will betray him. Leonardo painted each disciple in varied levels of anger and shock.
The painting was commissioned by Ludovico Sforza, the duke of Milan at that time (from 1494 until 1499). It is not exactly clear when the work began, but many historians believe it is around 1495. Leonardo finished his work a few years after in 1498. The Last Supper covers a large portion of the wall of the convent’s refectory. Measuring from 460 cm × 880 cm (180 in × 350 in). Several details are referencing to the number three. The disciples are painted in groups of there, there are three windows Jesus, and Jesus’ figure resembles a triangle.
It is amazing that the The Last Supper Milan survived because it incurred several damages through the years. During WWII, American and British bombings of Milan destroyed part of the church which houses this masterpiece. However, the wall survived by miracle. Many of the restoration efforts caused more damages on the painting. Thankfully, one of Leonardo’s students created an accurate copy. It was used as basis for the restoration of The Last Supper. Moving the painting to a facility with highly controlled environment is impractical, so they modified the refectory instead. The refectory is now a sealed room with climate controlled environment; this helps preserve the painting.
The restoration efforts gave people from all over the world the opportunity to see one of the oldest and most significant paintings in history. Because the painting is so precious, visitors only have 15 minutes to relish the beauty of The Last Supper.
There are many things to see and places to go in the beautiful city of Milan. However, your tour will not be complete if you do not see The Last Supper Milan. It is an amazing experience.
TIP: Tickets are hard to acquire. You have to purchase tickets on-line, you can’t just show up and get tickets. Just remember to book a long time ahead, or you will pay more to get in. Normal price is about 8 Euro. Tickets are sold out quickly, as the number of visitors let in is limited. It may be a better experience of visiting, if you are part of a tour group.
Address: Piazza Santa Maria delle Grazie, 2, 20123
Hours: Tuesday thru Sunday 8:15 am – 7:00 pm
