Milan: The Last Supper and Castello Sforzesco

 Milan, the economic capital of Italy, is the second-largest city in the country with a population of approximately 1.4 million people. Extensively bombed during WWII, modern Milan is a bustling showplace of world-class cultural institutions, fine dining, and fashion houses galore.

 

 

A highlight of Milan is a visit to Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper in the Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano, housed in the refractory of the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent. The church and convent complex was bombed during WWII, and the photo below shows the damage to the cloister adjacent to the refractory.

The famed painting, spanning the entire wall at one end of the refractory, has deteriorated significantly over the years and has been subject to various renovation efforts. Nevertheless, it remains a striking and moving work. Today, to help control environmental conditions, visitors are allowed only in small groups for fifteen minute tours.

The Castello Sforzesco below, erected in the 14th century, was expanded to become one of Europe's largest fortifications. Today, it houses many of Milan's museums, including the Rondanini Pieta. 

In the Sala delle Asse (Room of Wooden Boards), in the Museum of Antique Art, the ceiling painting is attributed to Leonard da Vinci. It would be his largest painting.

 

                                 Michelangelo sculpted four Pieta's. His last, below, is in the Rondanini Pieta.