# Leonardo's Last Supper in Milan > The Last Supper is Leonardo da Vinci's mural of 1495–1498 on the refectory wall of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, one of the most famous paintings in the world. It can only be seen by reservation, in small groups for 15 minutes. Tickets are paid and sell out weeks ahead, so book on the official site as early as you can. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/last-supper - City: [Milan](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan), Italy - YesGo score: 72/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Paid, timed reservation only - Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, closed Monday - Visit: 15 minutes, small group - Tickets: Official site cenacolovinciano.org, well ahead - Location: The refectory beside Santa Maria delle Grazie - Metro: Conciliazione or Cadorna (M1, M2), 5–10 minutes' walk - Coordinates: 45.46667, 9.17083 - Facts checked: 10.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1495–1498** — the years Leonardo worked on the mural (source: English Wikipedia) - **≈ 4.6 × 8.8 m** — size of the painting on the refectory wall (source: English Wikipedia) - **Not a fresco** — tempera and oil on dry plaster (source: English Wikipedia) - **1978–1999** — the last major restoration took 21 years (source: English Wikipedia) - **1980** — church and refectory joined the UNESCO list (source: UNESCO World Heritage List, no. 93) ## A short history The mural was commissioned by Milan's duke **Ludovico Sforza**, "il Moro", who planned to make the Dominican convent of **Santa Maria delle Grazie** his family's resting place and decorate it with the finest artists. **Leonardo da Vinci** worked on the wall of the friars' refectory — their dining hall — from **1495 to 1498**. Witnesses recalled him painting from dawn to dusk, then coming for days only to stare at the wall and add a stroke or two. Leonardo disliked true fresco, which forces you to paint fast on wet plaster, so he used **tempera and oil on dry plaster** to work slowly and revise. The paint didn't bond well and began flaking within decades. After centuries of repainting, a scientific **restoration lasting 21 years** (1978–1999) removed later layers to reveal what remains of Leonardo's own hand. ## What the painting shows Leonardo chose the Gospel's most dramatic instant: Christ has just said "**one of you will betray me**", and the apostles react — rising, arguing, asking "is it I?". The twelve sit in **four groups of three**, with Christ calm at the centre against a bright window that acts as his halo. The room is built in strict **linear perspective**, every line meeting at Christ's head; a tiny nail hole there is thought to be where Leonardo fixed strings to lay out the lines. Judas sits among the others, leaning into shadow and clutching a purse. ## What to look for in 15 minutes - **Christ at the centre** — the window behind him as a halo. - **Groups of three** — the apostles' gestures and faces. - **Judas** — in shadow, purse in hand, to Christ's right. - **The table** — bread, fish and glassware. - **Perspective** — lines converging on Christ's head. - **Opposite wall** — Montorfano's Crucifixion of 1495. > **Book weeks ahead** Tickets are released in blocks months in advance on cenacolovinciano.org and sell out almost immediately in season, so watch for the release date. If it's sold out, guided tours that pre-book slots are the reliable fallback — pricier, but they work. ## How the visit works Arrive **15–20 minutes** early to collect your ticket and pass through a series of glass chambers that filter the air and humidity to protect the mural. Groups are usually capped at around 30–35, and you get exactly **15 minutes**. Photos are usually allowed without flash. The hall is cool, quiet and bare — the Last Supper on one wall, the Crucifixion on the other. Many visitors are surprised how faded it looks in places: that's the honest result of a restoration that kept only original paint. An audio guide or tour helps with the details. ## How to get to the Last Supper 1. Metro M1 to **Conciliazione**, 5 minutes' walk. 2. Metro M1 or M2 to **Cadorna**, 10 minutes' walk along Via Boccaccio. 3. Tram 16 from [Piazza del Duomo](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/piazza-del-duomo) to the Santa Maria delle Grazie stop. 4. From [Sforza Castle](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/sforza-castle), 15 minutes on foot. ## Is the Last Supper worth it? Yes, if you can get a ticket: seeing one of the world's most famous paintings in the very room it was made for is Milan's greatest art experience. Fifteen minutes sounds short, but in the hush of the near-empty hall it's enough to read the faces. Afterwards, step into the neighbouring [church of Santa Maria delle Grazie](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/santa-maria-delle-grazie), which is free. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Book the moment tickets are released - [ ] Bring ID — names are checked - [ ] Arrive 15–20 minutes early - [ ] Avoid Mondays - [ ] Visit Santa Maria delle Grazie afterwards ## Milan's museums: compare and choose Museums and galleries in Milan rated by YesGo. - [The Last Supper](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/last-supper) — YesGo score 72/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Paid, booking only - [San Siro Stadium](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/san-siro) — YesGo score 58/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Paid - [La Scala](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/la-scala) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Paid - [Sforza Castle](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/sforza-castle) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Courtyards free, museums paid - [Pinacoteca di Brera](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/pinacoteca-di-brera) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Paid - [Pinacoteca Ambrosiana](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/pinacoteca-ambrosiana) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Paid ## Leonardo and the Renaissance The Last Supper by reservation, Santa Maria delle Grazie, the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio and Sforza Castle. 1. [The Last Supper](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/last-supper) — YesGo score 72/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Paid, booking only 2. [Santa Maria delle Grazie](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/santa-maria-delle-grazie) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free 3. [Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/sant-ambrogio) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free 4. [Sforza Castle](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/sforza-castle) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Courtyards free, museums paid ## Don't mix it up Milan holds Leonardo's original, painted on the wall. The versions you may see in other cities and museums are later copies by his pupils and followers. ## Tips - Book as soon as tickets drop. - You get exactly 15 minutes. - Closed on Mondays. - The church next door is free. ## Questions ### How do I get tickets for the Last Supper? By timed reservation on the official site cenacolovinciano.org; if it's sold out, through a guided tour. ### How long can you see the Last Supper? 15 minutes per slot, in groups of up to around 30–35. ### Where is the Last Supper? In the former refectory of the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, 15 minutes' walk from the Duomo. ### Why is the Last Supper so damaged? Leonardo used tempera and oil on dry plaster instead of fresco, and the paint began flaking in his lifetime. ### Can you take photos? Usually yes, without flash. ### When was the Last Supper painted? Between 1495 and 1498, for Duke Ludovico Sforza. ## How we checked History, technique and subject from English Wikipedia and UNESCO. Prices, hours and group sizes weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia, The Last Supper (Leonardo) - UNESCO World Heritage List, no. 93 — Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie with The Last Supper - Official site cenacolovinciano.org --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.