Leonardo’s Last Supper – ENGLISH VERSION

Leonardo da Vinci was a central figure in the city of Milan, where he served for an impressive 17 years.

He arrived in 1482 with a letter of introduction, boldly claiming his ability to design war machines and weapons for the Sforza court. However, his contributions to Milan extended far beyond this. Ludovico il Moro was in the process of realizing his grand vision: an ideal district in the area of Le Grazie, meant to house courtiers and his closest collaborators. Today, the remnants of this dream include the stunning Casa degli Atellani, where visitors can still admire Leonardo’s Vineyard in its garden, and the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, which il Moro intended to transform into the Sforza family mausoleum.

In this context, Leonardo was commissioned to decorate the refectory of the Dominican convent at Le Grazie. It is here that his masterpiece, The Last Supper, can still be admired. Departing from the traditional fresco technique—where colors are applied to wet plaster—Leonardo chose to work on dry plaster instead, allowing him to revisit and refine the painting over time. Unfortunately, this experimental approach proved flawed, as the artwork began to deteriorate soon after completion.

What we see today is the result of an extraordinary restoration completed in 1999, which painstakingly uncovered Leonardo’s original layers.

During our guided visit, we’ll journey back to Renaissance-era Milan, discovering what remains of Ludovico il Moro’s ambitious vision and marveling at the timeless legacy of Leonardo da Vinci.