Heritage & monuments
The Last Supper
The Last Supper is a mural painting by the Italian High Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, dated to c. 1495–1498, housed in the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. The painting represents the scene of the Last Supper of Jesus with the Twelve Apostles, as it is told in the Gospel of John – specifically the moment after Jesus announces that one of his apostles will betray him. Its handling of space, mastery of perspective, treatment of motion and complex display of human emotion has made it one of the Western world's most recognizable paintings and among Leon...
What it is
This is Leonardo da Vinci's mural of Christ and the Twelve Apostles, painted directly on the refectory wall of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in the late 1490s. It's not a canvas painting but an experimental wall technique that has needed extensive conservation, so the room is kept controlled and visitor numbers are limited. Travellers come to see the original in person rather than reproductions, and to stand in the same dining hall the monks used, which gives a sense of the work's original scale and setting.
Getting there
The convent sits just west of Milan's historic centre, reachable in about 15-20 minutes by metro or tram from the Duomo area, or a 20-25 minute walk. The nearest metro stop is Cadorna or Conciliazione on the red (M1) or red/green lines, followed by a short walk.
How much time to allow
Entry is timed and viewing is restricted to a short window, typically around 15 minutes inside the refectory itself. Including check-in, security, and a look at the adjoining church, plan for roughly 45 minutes to an hour at the site.
When to go
Because visitor slots are limited and controlled, the painting is consistently in high demand and tickets are often booked out well in advance. Morning slots tend to be less rushed than afternoon ones. There's little to gain from arriving early without a confirmed slot, since access is by timed entry only.
What to combine it with
The Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie itself is essentially next door (0.1km) and worth a look before or after your slot. The Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio (0.6km) and the Archaeological Museum of Milan (0.6km) are both a short walk away, as is the Triennale di Milano (0.6km) for design and contemporary exhibitions, making this area easy to combine into a single half-day route.
Sources: open data from Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap · Updated August 5, 2026 · Edited by the World by City editors
