Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano

About the museum

The Cenacolo Vinciano occupies the former refectory of the Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, a complex that Ludovico il Moro wanted renovated and embellished at the end of the 15th century. Commissioned by the duke, Leonardo da Vinci painted the Last Supper on the north wall between 1494 and 1498, using an experimental dry technique, tempera and oil on plaster, unlike traditional fresco.

This technique allowed extraordinary richness of detail and light effects, but it made the work fragile and prone to deterioration already in the following centuries. On the opposite wall of the refectory is the Crucifixion by Donato Montorfano, completed in 1495, to which Leonardo added portraits of the dukes of Milan with their children, now barely legible.

In 1943 the convent was hit by bombing, but the wall with the painting survived. A long restoration, completed in 1999, restored the legibility of the work. The complex of Santa Maria delle Grazie with the Cenacolo has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980.

Since December 2014 the museum has been run by the Ministry of Culture, today through the Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Lombardia. The visit, brief and in limited-capacity timed slots, ensures environmental conditions suited to preserving the painting.

Highlights

• Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper (1494–1498)
• Crucifixion by Donato Montorfano on the opposite wall of the refectory
• Portraits of the dukes of Milan with their children, painted by Leonardo
• Chiostro dei Morti and 17th-century fresco fragments along the route
• Tactile model of the Last Supper in the refectory

Permanent exhibition

• Ultima Cena di Leonardo da Vinci – The mural painting in the refectory, made by Leonardo between 1494 and 1498, with the Crucifixion by Montorfano on the opposite wall.

Operated by

Ministero della Cultura – Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Lombardia

Visitors per year

approx. 445,728

Admission & discounts

Free admission: First Sundays of the month (free tickets available only online from 12:00 on the preceding Wednesday, up to 5 per person); on these days groups, guided tours and workshops are not admitted.

Booking is always required, including for free tickets: online (up to 5 tickets) or through the call centre (up to 9). Each person may buy a maximum of 5 tickets per calendar year. Tickets are personal, cannot be changed and are non-refundable. New tickets go on sale in quarterly periods and every Wednesday at 12:00 for the following week. Other categories with reductions or free admission are listed in the museum's FAQs.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description

The route is accessible to people with mobility impairments; the museum takes part in the Easy Go Out project of AISM. In the refectory there is a tactile model of the Last Supper; the “Museo per tutti” route with guides and cards for people with intellectual disabilities, DescriVedendo audio descriptions and an audio-video guide in LIS and ISL are available. Free car parking spaces for people with disabilities are available in Via Fratelli Ruffini. Guide dogs and therapy animals with medical certification are admitted.

Kids & families

Under-18s enter free, but booking is always required, including for infants.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in Area C (paid access for vehicles). Taxis stop at Via Ruffini 1, opposite the ticket office.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers

Bookshop run by Giunti Editore, accessible only with a ticket. Free lockers at the ticket office (up to 60 minutes, limited availability); bulky luggage may not be taken in.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit