The Monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie and The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci
Two unforgettable names, for the history of civilization, are associated with this church – Donato Bramante and Leonardo da Vinci. The apse of the church is a grand testimony to the spatial architecture of the Renaissance period. During the same period, Leonardo painted ‘The Last Supper’ on the wall of the refectory of this monastery, his largest work using an unusual fresco technique, on a dry wall surface, using a special tempera. It has undergone restoration many times. The most recent lasted 20 years and was completed only in 1998.
‘The Last Supper’ is a monumental painting by Leonardo da Vinci. It was painted between 1495 and 1498. The dimensions of the image are 4.6×8.8 m. It depicts the biblical episode of the Last Supper – the final meal of Jesus Christ with the twelve apostles. The painting captures the moment when Jesus spoke the words that one of the disciples would betray him.
The Monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie primarily attracts visitors with the fresco by Leonardo da Vinci, but the monastery itself should not be overlooked. The Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie is not just the fresco of The Last Supper. The church itself is an outstanding architectural monument, comparable in significance to the most famous structures in Milan. Architects such 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 purchase; it is necessary to request them in advance, especially during the high season – preferably one or two months ahead. Usually, entry is allowed at a specific time once a day, and there will be no opportunity to choose the time. Visits are conducted with an English-speaking licensed guide; sometimes there are just tickets without a guide, but not always. If you want a Russian-speaking guide to accompany you, you also need to purchase a ticket for them. The visit to The Last Supper is strictly 15 minutes, after which you will be asked to leave.
