Il Cenacolo, aka, The Last Supper

Two months ago we made reservations to view The Last Supper to coincide with our return from Barcelona. We arrived in Milan from Barcelona late in the evening and connections to Alessandria are basically impossible at that time so we spent the night and viewed the masterpiece before returning home the next day.

They let in a group of 25 every 15 minutes. You stay for 15 minutes and then they shoo you away for the next group. For me, it was totally worth it. I didn't know that it is a fresco painted against a huge church wall--the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Leonardo was experimenting with learning fresco techniques and painted it between 1495 - 1498.
It represents the scene from the final days of Jesus as narrated in the Gospel of John 13:21, when Jesus announces that one of his Apostles would betray him.

The Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie

was extensively bombed in WWII, but the wall holding The Last Supper remained standing.

The church care takers anticipated the bombing and built a scaffolding that was supported and padded by sand bags. It worked.

Deterioration of the paint began within six years of its completion (due to the fact that the technique was experimental). In 1978 a major restoration process took place that took 21 years and was finally completed in 1999. Of note is the fact that over the five centuries the fresco was "touched up" by many other artists.

If you double click and enlarge, you can see the names of the various apostles. The gentleman in the middle is Jesus (not named).

A not so smart individual cut out a door in 1652 that went right through the feet of Jesus. We miss out seeing that Leonardo painted His feet atop each other, a symbol of readiness for the nail and crucifixion.

Here is where much controversy resides--you readers of Dan Brown's book will know that some theorize that this is Mary Magdalen to Jesus's right, and not the apostle, John. What do you think?

Another very good day and wonderful opportunity. Thank you.