I traveled to Milan to see Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper and I was not disappointed. Began in 1494 and finished by 1498, the fresco is located on one of the end walls inside the refectory of the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. It is not a fresco in the truest sense of the word because Da Vinci did not admire that technique, completing it in tempera on dry plaster instead, which largely contributed to its rapid deterioration necessitating at least three major restorations involving the world’s experts. The convent was occupied by Napoleonic troops and the ceiling collapsed during World War II Allied bombing despite being sandbagged. The masterpiece survived it all. As I studied it briefly (the ticket allows a small group to view it for only 15 minutes) I was impressed by the colors, lots of blue, the detailed faces, some old, and some young or feminine. The disciples all point your eye to their master. To see it for yourself you must reserve your ticket about three months in advance. Everyone revels in the hidden messages in the work by Leonardo; Judas with a salt shaker and a bag of silver, Thomas with his finger pointing up, suggesting no need for popes, and or “put your finger in my wound Thomas” if you doubt my resurrection and so on.
Next we headed to the Duomo di Milano about a twenty minute walk to the largest Catholic Church in Italy outside of St. Peter’s. It was constructed of so much pink marble that a canal was dug to transport the stone. Many architects were involved in the six century project and it is know for the 3400 statues that adorn it. Take the roof tour for an amazing sight.
