The Last Supper (Santa Maria delle Grazie)

Cenacolo Vinciano

Leonardo da Vinci's mural, painted on the refectory wall between 1495 and 1498. A World Heritage Site where visits are limited to 35 people per 15-minute slot.

The Last Supper is a huge mural painted by Leonardo da Vinci between 1495 and 1498 on the north wall of the refectory of the Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Duke Ludovico Sforza of Milan commissioned it. The mural is about 8.8 metres wide and depicts the moment Jesus announces, “One of you will betray me,” and the twelve apostles react. Because da Vinci used an experimental tempera-on-dry-plaster technique instead of traditional fresco, the painting began flaking soon after it was completed. The refectory was nearly destroyed by bombing in World War II, and the mural survived only because it was protected by sandbags. It underwent 21 years of restoration, from 1978 to 1999. In 1980, the church and the mural were inscribed together as a World Heritage Site.

Visits are strictly by timed reservation. Groups of up to 35 people enter every 15 minutes, passing through a dehumidifying airlock first. Full-price tickets cost about €15 plus a €2 booking fee. Tickets are sold on the official website, cenacolovinciano.org. They are released quarterly, and popular slots sell out within minutes. If you can't get a ticket, you can book a guided tour, which costs more but is easier to secure. Cadorna station on metro lines M1 and M2 is about a 10-minute walk away, or you can take tram line 16.

Before your visit, look at the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie across the way. Bramante's apse is a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture, and entry to the church is free. Arriving after the entry time means you won't be admitted.

Opening hours

Tue–Sun 08:15–19:00 (last session 18:45); closed Mondays; reservation required

World Heritage · Leonardo da Vinci · Murals · Reservation required

Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby

More in Milan