This past week, I went to Milan one afternoon to see a famous painting by Leonardo Da Vinci: The Last Supper, or as they say in Italian, Il Cenacolo. It was a very cold day in Milan but it was still enjoyable to walk around the city and see it begin to be decorated with lights and Christmas trees.
As we walked towards the Duomo after we arrived in Milan, we passed by the Piazza della Scala, where you can find this Leonardo Da Vinci statue. Leonardo da Vinci lived and worked in Milan from 1482-1499 at the Sforza Castle, under the Duke Ludovico il Moro.
We then walked through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II with all of its designer and luxury clothing shops. A beautiful Christmas tree is being put up right now in the center of the shopping complex.
Borsalino is one of the oldest Italian companies that specializes in making luxury hats. They are quite expensive -- I looked at the prices and I saw one hat being sold for € 450.00!
Right by the Piazza della Scala is the Milan Cathedral, which we saw in all its glory.
Me, Erica, and Erica's mother in front of the Milan Cathedral
Before walking to the church which houses Da Vinci's painting, we stopped at Starbucks for a merienda (snack).
This isn't just any Starbucks -- Milan has the third Starbucks Reserve Roastery in the world, after Seattle (2014) and Shanghai (2017). Opened in September 2018, this Starbucks Reserve Roastery pays tribute to the passion, science, and craft of making coffee.
Amidst its bright colors and all the sweets, you can watch the coffee-brewing process from bean to cup.
We all ordered herbal teas, croissants, and a cannoli.
After our snack, we finally made our way to the church which contains the original Last Supper painting by Leonardo Da Vinci.
Santa Maria delle Grazie (Holy Mary of Grace) is a Gothic-style church that took three decades to construct. From 1486 to 1493, a Dominican convent and church were built at the site of a prior chapel, which was dedicated to the Marian devotion of St. Mary of the Graces.
Our guide took us to the refectory of the convent, which contains the mural of The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci. Leonardo worked on this painting from 1495 to 1498, but did not work on it continuously. He also didn't use the traditional technique of painting fresco, but used an experimental technique where he applied tempera paint and mixed media directly to the stone wall. Because of this different painting style, the mural started to deteriorate only 20 years after he completed it.
The doorway-shaped structure that you see at the base of the painting comes from a doorway that was cut through the painting in 1652. At this time, the painting was almost unrecognizable because of so much deterioration. The doorway was later bricked-up, but can still be seen as the irregular arch-shaped structure near the center base of the painting.
The painting has been through many restoration attempts, especially after World War II, when the refectory was bombed by the Allies. Fortunately, sandbags protected the painting from being destroyed completely but it was still damaged due to vibration. The last restoration attempt was completed in 1999.
This painting is opposite of Leonardo's Last Supper in the refectory: Crucifixion by Giovanni Donato da Montorfano (1495).
And that was my afternoon in Milan to see one of the most famous art pieces in the Western world today. The Last Supper is truly a masterpiece because of the range of complex human emotion depicted on everyone's faces and the different perspectives that Da Vinci uses to add depth to the painting. I would definitely recommend seeing the painting in person. You do have to make a reservation a few months in advance, but I assure you that it is worth the wait. It is an amazing visit and a beautiful work of art to see!
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