The Last Supper (Cenacolo Vinciano)

Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper is one of the most famous paintings in the world, and seeing it requires more planning than almost any other sight in Italy. Leonardo painted it between about 1495 and 1498 for Ludovico Sforza, on the end wall of the refectory of the Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. It shows the moment after Christ announces that one of the apostles will betray him, with the twelve reacting in groups of three across a long table.

The work is not a true fresco. Leonardo painted in tempera on a dry wall sealed with layers of gesso, pitch and mastic, which let him work slowly and revise, but the paint began to flake within his lifetime. Damp, earlier restorations and wartime bombing all took their toll, and a restoration led by Pinin Brambilla Barcilon took 21 years before the painting was unveiled again in 1999. The refectory is now a sealed, climate-controlled room, and the mural measures roughly 4.6 by 8.8 metres. On the opposite wall is Giovanni Donato da Montorfano's Crucifixion, painted in 1495.

Visits are strictly controlled to protect the painting. Entry is by timed reservation only, groups are small, and each visit lasts 15 minutes. Tickets are released in blocks every three months and sell out very quickly, so book on the official site as soon as your dates are known. If you miss out, guided tours that include entry are the usual fallback. The site is open from Tuesday to Sunday and closed on Mondays; arrive a little before your slot, as latecomers can lose their turn.

Fifteen minutes is short, so it helps to know what to look for: the way the perspective lines converge on Christ's head, Judas leaning back into shadow, and the gestures that ripple along the table. The painting suits anyone with an interest in art or history, and older children often find the story easy to follow. Visitors with reduced mobility should mention it when booking.

The refectory is beside the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, whose tribune and cloister were designed in Bramante's time and are worth a look before or after your visit. The nearest metro stops are Conciliazione and Cadorna on line M1. The Science and Technology Museum and the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio are both a short walk away.