Journey Across Italy- Day 11
Day 11- Thursday December 29th
THE LAST SUPPER by Leonardo da Vinci
Ok so we did a few other things this day as well but honestly, this was far and away the highlight and deserves its own post.
The Last Supper is in a building attached to a functional church, the Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie. In fact the room the painting is in was originally the monks dining room. The museum is really just the side building which houses the mural, there are no other artifacts, just information on the main attraction and buildings.
We met our tour group in the small square in front of the museum entrance. We first took a small walk around the interior of the church before going to the ticket office to get our official tickets. We had to present ID to show we were the person to whom the ticket was assigned. Access is extremely limited. Groups of only 25 people at a time view the art for 15 minutes. A series of air locked chambers protects the painting from heat and humidity which is the main culprit of its decay. We passed through a small exhibit of the history of the painting and its restoration through the years. Finally it was our turn.
It was huge and spectacular and our guide gave us all the interesting details while we sat on benches in awe. Photos are permitted but no flash and no video recording. It was completely worth the price of the private tour and one of the most emotional, meaningful things we saw on the entire trip.
Entrance to the church.
Inside the church.
Entrance to the museum.
The airlock chambers.
Information on da Vinci’s painting technique.
Here it is!
The painting is on the wall to the right when you enter. A series of benches allows visitors to sit comfortably while viewing.
I think this photo best conveys the size and scope of the art, which is very large. I often hear people say they’re disappointed with the small size of The Mona Lisa; this was the exact opposite experience.
Painting (Fresco) on the opposite wall, done by a different artist.
During WW2 the Last Supper was protected by sandbags. Much of the building was destroyed by bombing but miraculously, both walls with the art works survived.
