HOLY MARY OF GRACE - THE LAST SUPPER, The Last Supper - Introduction

Holy Mary of Grace is home to the Cenacle, one of the most famous art treasures of the world!

Here you'll admire the Last Supper, which was painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the refectory of the Dominican convent of Holy Mary of Grace. In order to conserve the painting as best as possible, unfortunately only small groups of people can enter the room and they cannot stay for more than 15 minutes. So if you don't want to risk having to wait in a long line, I suggest making a reservation. In any case, it will be an unforgettable experience.

Even if it feels like you're going into a stand alone building, Leonardo's painting is an integral part of the convent's complex, which we will visit together later. In fact, the Last Supper is in the refectory, a simple and spacious rectangular room where the monks dined and often hosted the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, also known as Il Moro. 

The duke had so much as decided that his tomb would be placed at the church: this is why he had it enlarged and decorated with great extravagance and asked the best artists of his court to take part, including precisely the great Leonardo da Vinci.

FUN FACT: the painting of the Cenacle, which a "normal" painter would have completed in a few months, took three years, from 1494-1497. The poor Dominican friars had to eat in their dining room cluttered by scaffolding for a long time!