Santa Maria delle Grazie and The Last Supper

Santa Maria delle Grazie is a late-15th-century Dominican church in central Milan, Lombardy, but the reason most visitors come lies in the adjoining refectory: Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Last Supper' (Il Cenacolo). Painted between roughly 1495 and 1498 directly onto the dining-hall wall, the mural captures the instant Christ announces his betrayal, and Leonardo's experimental technique — oil and tempera on dry plaster rather than true fresco — has left the work fragile and much restored, which is why access is so tightly controlled. Entry is by timed slot only: groups of around 25 are admitted for exactly 15 minutes after passing through climate-control chambers that protect the painting from humidity. Inside the refectory, visitors stand before the Last Supper at one end and Giovanni Donato da Montorfano's Crucifixion at the other. The church itself, with Bramante's elegant domed apse and tribune, is free to enter and worth time on its own. Because each session is brief, the actual viewing is short, but combined with the church a visit runs one to two hours including the security and waiting process. Tickets are released in blocks months ahead and sell out almost instantly; remaining slots are often only available through official guided tours. Morning slots tend to be calmest. Photography inside the refectory is not permitted, and bags must be left in lockers. The painting hangs within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its muted, time-worn colours reward unhurried attention during the quarter-hour allowed. The surrounding Magenta district, with the church's rose-brick exterior and cloister, makes a pleasant pause before or after the strictly scheduled entry.