Inside the Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, to whose design Bramante also contributed, Ludovico il Moro commissioned one of the most famous depictions of Christian iconography from Leonardo da Vinci: the Last Supper.
The Florentine artist painted it between 1494 and 1497 on the wall of the refectory, adopting an experimental technique different from the fresco, which would not allow him to make continuous changes to the details of the work, as was his custom. The result was one of the most iconic masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance and the entire history of art.
Unfortunately, the technique used by Leonardo proved to be extremely delicate, making the painting subject to rapid deterioration. Over the centuries, the work required numerous restorations, the last of which was completed in 1999 after more than 20 years of work, returning what remained of the original painting to the public.
In 1980, the complex of Santa Maria delle Grazie and the Cenacolo was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage listbecoming the second recognised Italian site, after the rock engravings in the Camonica Valley. As stated by the examining commission, "it is a unique artistic achievement of exceptional and universal value, transcending all historical contingencies'. e "exercised considerable influence, not only on the development of an iconographic theme, but also on the fate of painting».
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Project financed with funds from Law no. 77 of 20 February 2006
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