4 Things To Know - Visiting The Last Supper In Milan Italy
"The Last Supper," by Leonardo Da Vinci, is one of the most famous paintings in the world. If you haven't seen it in person, you've no doubt seen it reprinted in some form or another. On a recent trip to Milan, we had a chance to see it for ourselves. What did we learn? And what are some things you need to know before you visit for yourself? Keep reading to find out.
1. It's Actually Kind Of A Failure
We throw the word "genius" around a little too frequently, but Da Vinci was definitely a genius. His mind was incredible, and he pursued knowledge for the simple purpose of learning something new. However, he wasn't perfect, and "The Last Supper" is proof of that. Instead of painting the fresco on wet plaster, as every other frescoist did, Da Vinci used tempura paint on already dried and sealed plaster. This experimental technique failed, and the pigments started to flake off the stone about 20 years later.
2. Most Of What You See Wasn't Painted By Da Vinci
Because the paint started to flake off so quickly, there have been many restorations done over the years. Some of which weren't the best, and many just made the problems worse. The painting at one point was in such bad shape that the residents of the monastery cut a new doorway through the picture at Jesus' feet! Bombings during WWII also didn't help. In 1980, a 20-year restoration started, but many of the original Da Vinci brushstrokes are now lost to time.
A doorway was cut out through the feet of Jesus.
3. Very Few People Can Visit Each Day
Only small groups are allowed in at a time.
As famous as it is, relatively few people can visit each day. Entry is limited to 15 minutes for groups of no more than 30. So only around 1200 people can see the painting a day. This keeps crowds down, but tickets sell out very fast. You can book tickets up to three months in advance for 10 Euros a person. But if you go this route, you have to be quick, and your chances are slim.
4. Get A Tour Guide
One way to avoid the madness of the presale tickets is to hire a guided tour. We went with Dark Rome Tours. Our guide was excellent and spoke English very well. Not only did we get the extra information from the guide, but all the tickets were sold out for the day we were in Milan. So going with Dark Rome worked out perfectly because they were able to get us in.
Our Dark Rome tour group.
Another benefit of Dark Rome was that it also included a 2.5-hour walking tour of Milan. We saw the major sights like the Duomo and the Galleria. The Duomo is the largest cathedral in Italy, and the galleria is filled with high-end shops. It constantly rained during our stay in Milan, but our tour guide was fantastic and made up for this inconvenience.
The Duomo in Milan is the largest church in Italy.
You can visit may high-end shops in The Galleria.
Conclusion
The city of Milan was our first introduction to Italy. And although it rained alot, we found it to be very walkable and beautiful. If you plan on visiting, get your tickets early or book with a reputable tour company like Dark Rome. Either way, we know you'll enjoy seeing "The Last Supper." Have you ever been to Milan to see “The Last Supper?” Let us know about it below in the comments.