Santa Maria della Grazie

You’re here to see one dining room wall in a 15th century former Dominican convent. Although, much unlike every other Dominican convent dining room wall, or any wall actually, before or since, this one was the canvas for one of the world’s most famous and studied paintings.

Can’t figure it out? Last clue, before going to bang your head against one of your own boring walls. You’re probably loosely familiar with the painter, his name was Leonardo and he came to the world from the Italian town of Vinci.

We’re talking, of course, about the original mural of The Last Supper. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Santa Maria delle Grazie and the art and frescos within have struggled to survive French looting in the 1500’s, near total destruction by bombings during WWII, and a host of misguided restoration attempts. What you’ll see today is, unfortunately, not quite the original piece. Due to the location, technique, environment, and poor stewardship, Leonardo’s work did not remain pristine for very long at all. Still well worth having a look if you’re in the neighborhood, because let’s be honest, unless you’re an art scholar, you won’t notice anything different.