First published: 10/11/05.

Ian Cade 3.5

Santa Maria Delle Grazie

Santa Maria delle Grazie (Inscribed)

Santa Maria delle Grazie by Ian Cade

The Last Supper (Canacolo) is such a famous image and I have seen versions of it at many other UNESCO sites made from many materials (salt and iron stand out in my memory) so there is no doubt about the validity of its inclusion on the list. The fresco sits in the refecroy of the convent and is in a reasonably poor state of repair due to restoration attempts, the odd technique that da Vinci employed to apply it and the idea of the Dominicans to enlarge the doorway thus cutting off Christ’s legs. The already famous image has also seen an upsurge in interest due to the international bestseller ‘The da Vinci Code’. It is a very impressive piece of work overall and well worth the hassle of getting tickets and going through several de-humidifying chambers.

The church itself is simple with some nice frescos, however the apse (pictured) and cloister designed by Bramante are very impressive and twined with the Cenacolo reflect a large change in artistic style.

I am surprised that I am the first person to write a review of this site as it is so famous. The church is in Milan and very easy to reach, the real problems start with being able to get a ticket to see it. You will have to RESERVE well in advance. The link that Els has given above is the official ticket office, and is the best place to get tickets from as they are the cheapest, however when I tried this it was booked up almost entirely for the next 3 months! So look as early as possible. In the end I had to unfortunately go through other channels to get my tickets, an internet search should give you plenty of options the cheapest I found was the confusingly titled www.weekendafirenze.com, in the end it cost me €12,50 per ticket including the audio guide (which I would highly recommend!).

Milan itself was a nice city, more functional than touristy, however the Duomo is hugely impressive I am sure if it was in another country it would be a WHS. This site was worth the effort to get to see, it is one of the most famous pieces of art in Western culture and fully deserving of its place on the list.

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