The Monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie and Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper
Two unforgettable names, for the history of civilisation, are associated with this church – Donato Bramante and Leonardo da Vinci. The apse of the church is a grandiose testimony to the spatial architecture of the Renaissance period. In the same period, Leonardo painted the Last Supper, his largest work, on the wall of the refectory of this monastery with an unusual fresco technique, and on the dry wall surface, using a special tempera. It has been restored many times. The most recent lasted 20 years and was only completed in 1998.
“The Last Supper” is a monumental painting by Leonardo da Vinci. It was painted between 1495 and 1498. The image measures 4.6×8.8 metres. It depicts the biblical episode of the Last Supper – the last meal of Jesus Christ with the twelve apostles. The painting depicts the moment when Jesus uttered the words that one of his disciples would betray him.
The Monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie is primarily attracted to Leonardo da Vinci’s frescoes, but the monastery itself cannot be overlooked either. The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie is not only the fresco of the Last Supper. The church itself is an outstanding piece of architecture, comparable in importance to the most famous buildings in Milan. Such architects as Pietro Solari and Donato Bramante (St Peter’s Basilica in Rome), great Italian architects, were involved in the construction of the church.
***Tickets for the Last Supper are very difficult to buy, for this purpose it is necessary to request in advance, in high season – preferably a month or two in advance. As a rule the entrance is at a certain time once a day, you will not be able to choose the time. Visits are made with an English-speaking licensed guide, sometimes there are just tickets without a guide, but not always. If you want to have a Russian-speaking guide with you, you should buy a ticket for him as well. The visit to the Last Supper is strictly 15 minutes, then you will be asked to leave.
