07 May
Travel Tips

How to Get Tickets to View da Vinci’s Last Supper Painting, Milan

Milan, in Northern Italy, has so much more to offer than the boutiques and football, its roads are steeped with history, and there are so many churches and cathedrals to see and absorb the culture.

Milan also offers relaxation from all the sightseeing strains in the way of its many spas. Or take a gondola trip around the labyrinth of Milan’s canals, something which this Italian city is less well known for. There is no shortage of things to enthrall and captivate in this admirable place.

Or, you can witness the painting of The Last Supper by Da Vinci.

Painting of The Last Supper by Da Vinci
Painting of The Last Supper by Da Vinci

Experiencing the painting of The Last Supper by Da Vinci

It has to be noted that one of the unmissable attractions of Milan, is Da Vinci’s masterpiece, The Last Supper. This has always been one of the most famous paintings in the world since its creation in the 15th century. Interest has risen even more significantly since the publication of Dan Brown’s novel, The Da Vinci Code in 2003.

Tickets for the Last Supper are very popular, and sell out quickly, often weeks in advance, so it is advisable to book your Last Supper tickets early if you intend to see this world famous controversy for yourself. Only a certain number of people can visit the Last Supper masterpiece in one day, so as to preserve it, so make sure you don’t miss out.

The Last Supper painting is kept in the Santa Maria delle Grazie (Holy Mary of Grace – Wikipedia) church. The church itself is a alluring tourist attraction and definitely worth a visit. It is one of the most grand churches of the Lombard Renaissance, and took 20 years to build.

It is worth looking at the various tours which operate around Milan, and combine the Last Supper tickets with some other fun excursions to make the most of your day. Other interesting things to do include La Scala Opera House, the world renowned opera house, and Corso Venezia, a fashionable street.

This tour by Get Your Guide, includes the Duomo and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in central Milan and Milan’s renowned opera house, La Scala – plus, guaranteed tickets to see the painting of The Last Supper.

How to get tickets to view da Vinci’s Last Supper in Milan?

The famous Last Supper fresco of Leonardo Da Vinci in Milan is notoriously difficult to access for viewing, as the number of visits is limited and people book months in advance.

If you’ve not booked in advance and arrive in Milan to find that there are no tickets left, what can you do?

It turns out that there are still possibilities to see the masterwork, albeit, at a slightly higher cost.

The only way visitors to Milan can see this masterwork without advance reservations is to book a guided tour.

One way is to go to a Milan Tourism Point and book the LookMi tour or the LookMi Light tour. These tours include a visit to the Last Supper every day except on Monday. With the Milano Card (buy it here), you get 10% off on the tour’s price.

Another possibility is the three-hour Autostradale bus tour or the ATM City tour.

The Autostradale Look-Mi tour departs from Piazza del Duomo in front of the Cathedral, near MacDonald’s, at 9.30 am, lasts three hours and includes Cathedral – Gallery – Scala – Sforza Castle – Last Supper – Arch of Peace – Arena – Monumental Cemetery. The price includes transportation from and to main hotels, entrance fees to monuments, and the guided tour. Online booking from the Autostradale website. You are eligible to a 10% discount with the MilanoCard .

The ATM tour operates from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:30 a.m. in Largo Cairoli (opposite the Castello ) and ends at about 1:00 in Piazza Duomo. The website gives a schedule. Info line 02 48036999. There are also tours, albeit with a slightly different program, but include the Last Supper, on Wednesdays (1pm) and Friday/Saturday (2:15 pm).

On the Internet you may find other tours at different costs, e.g. at 24Milano and Zani Viaggi , Viator, and TicketItaly.

Yet another possibility is to book at least a few days in advance with Last Supper Tickets. You can not book here more than three days in advance.

To pay the normal entrance fee of 6.50€, you’ll have to make a reservation the official way, at the Vivaticket website, months in advance! The availability of tickets changes rather a lot over time, so come back to the site regularly (you may just have luck).

On site there are guided English language tours at 9.30 and 3.30 (3.50 euro extra fee). To book this guided tour, you first need to get tickets for one of the two periods and then contact the call center (02 92800360) to book the guide.

Book your Last Supper tickets early

Remember to purchase your Last Supper tickets before your trip to ensure you don’t miss anything.

Discover more of Leonardo da Vinci’s Milan by exploring more of his work throughout the city, including the Sforza Castle, Biblioteca Ambrosiana and Museo Poldi Pezzoli.


07 May
Travel Tips

Discover Leonardo da Vinci’s Milan

Milan is certainly a powerhouse of fashion, finance, and furniture – but art destination?

Really?  

Apart from The Last Supper and the Duomo, Milan’s list of artistic blockbusters seems paltry when compared with those of Rome or Florence, but delve a little deeper and you will discover a city that played a significant role in the life of one of the greatest geniuses in world history: Leonardo da Vinci. 

You need to experience Leonardo da Vinci’s Milan! 

From 1482 until the French invasion of 1499, Leonardo worked for the tyrannical Regent Ludovico (later Duke of Milan). You can see how significant this phase of Leonardo’s life was with a tour of some gems associated with his time in Milan.    

Leonardo da Vinci’s Milan

The Last Supper, Santa Maria delle Grazie 

Don’t make the mistake of arriving in Milan expecting to drop in and see the painting of The Last Supper.

You will need to book weeks in advance for a 15-minute group visit. It’s worth it though.

Years of meticulous restoration have brought back to life the essential drama of Leonardo’s version of the disciples’ reaction to Christ’s announcement that one of them will betray him.  

Painting of The Last Supper by Da Vinci
Painting of The Last Supper by Da Vinci

Sforza Castle 

Take a break from the crowds at Santa Maria delle Grazie and take your time appreciating Leonardo’s magnificent ceiling of mulberry trees in the far corner of the main building at Sforza Castle.  

There are several museums at the castle, but the most fascinating for fans of Leonardo are the picture galleries, which house many late 15th-century paintings from the city.  (And the mulberry trees, of course).  

Biblioteca Ambrosiana 

Established at the end of the 16th century, this library and picture gallery houses Leonardo’s Codex Atlanticus notebooks, a collection of some 1,200-odd pages that offers the most extensive insights into his unique mind. It covers his working life from the age of 26 in 1478, until his death in 1519.   

The exhibit is shared with the Bramante Sacristry at Santa Maria delle Grazie, and covers everything from notes on how to view an eclipse to a list of India’s rivers.  The library’s amazing art collection also includes Leonardo’s only known portrait painting of a man: The Musician.  

Entry is €15 (or €20 if you want to visit the Codex Atlanticus exhibit in the Bramante Sacristry of Santa Maria delle Grazie as well). Here’s a guided tour of both Ambrosiana Gallery & Da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus.

Museo Poldi Pezzoli 

For a museum that contains such a superb collection of furniture and paintings, the Museo Poldi Pezzoli is remarkably free of visitors.  

Mainly from the high Renaissance, the collections include works by Botticelli, Pollaiolo, Mantegna, Giovanni Bellini, and Piero della Francesca, as well as some paintings by Andrea Solario, who worked with Leonardo. You will also see the delightful Mystical Marriage of St Catherine by Bernadino Luini and a Virgin and Child by Giovanni Boltraffio, both of whom worked with and were probably trained by Leonardo.  

Pinacoteca di Brera 

The principal picture gallery in Milan, Pinacoteca di Brera is as good as the Accademia in Venice and the Uffizi in Florence, but the crowds are far smaller.  

It’s hard to pick a highlight, but among the standouts are some wonderful 15th-century Venetian paintings that Leonardo must have seen, including Madonnas by Bellini and Mantegna.  

Leonardo’s Horse at San Siro 

When is a Leonardo sculpture not quite a Leonardo sculpture? When it is made in the 20th century based extensive research into the sketches and notes made by the Renaissance giant.  

The massive bronze horse at San Siro is a full-size cast based on the commission Leonardo received in 1482 from the Duke of Milan as a monument to the duke’s father.   

The biggest equestrian monument in the world, it’s free to view in the peaceful surroundings of Milan’s racecourse. There are options for public transport to get here.  

The Navigli

You don’t need to enter any church or museum to see one of Leonardo’s greatest contributions to Milan.

The innovative system of sluices designed by Leonardo for the city’s network of canals allowed Milan to develop into one of Italy’s largest inland ports, despite the absence of a main river. The canals became so integral to the city that some areas almost looked Venetian.

Walk in the footsteps of da Vinci

Explore all of Leonardo da Vinci’s Milan with this three-hour art tour that walks in the footsteps of Da Vinci. See the famous portrayal of the Last Supper, check out the Atlantic Codex at Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, and admire the Il Musico painting.