Tourists to Milan during the Winter Olympics hoping to see Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” were in for an unwelcome surprise: Access to the masterpiece was closed to the public for 3-1/2 days.
The painting, created between 1494 and 1498 by the Italian Renaissance artist, is located on a wall inside the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, a church and Dominican convent still used by friars. It is a major attraction for appreciators of art and devout Catholics alike.
Tourists stuck at the police cordon down the street leading to Santa Maria delle Grazie were disappointed. Antonio Rodríguez, who traveled from Spain with friends, said they would have no other chance to see the painting nor the adjacent church since they only travelled for the weekend.
“We didn’t know we would face this,” said Rodríguez, adding he had no plans to attend events related to the Games. “We would have gone somewhere else in the city.”
A sign on the wall outside Il Cenacolo Vinciano stated that access to the landmark would be closed all day on Feb. 5, 6 and 7, and the morning of Feb. 8, without giving any reason. Staff there said they were not authorized to provide any information.
However, unbeknownst to frustrated visitors, multiple groups of VIPs were exempt from the restrictions on Saturday.
Among them were U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his family, according to a statement from the VP’s office. They visited the morning after he met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and attended the Games’ opening ceremony.
In addition to Vance, many foreign delegations have visited The Last Supper and the Brera Art Gallery in recent days, including those of China, Poland, Hungary and Bulgaria, Angelo Crespi, the director of Grande Brera that oversees both institutions, said in a statement.
“We interpret our role responsibly, not only in terms of tourism but also in terms of international relations,” he said.
Traffic in the area surrounding the religious site on Saturday was diverted. People walking along nearby streets said public transportation was disrupted, as well.
Typically, visits last about 15 minutes for a maximum number of 40 people at a time and temperature and humidity are strictly controlled.
Leonardo’s painting depicts the moment after Jesus tells his apostles: “One of you will betray me.” The scene’s composition has had other interpretations by previous artists, but Leonardo reinterpreted it, placing Jesus at the centre and arranging the apostles in four groups of three figures.
The painting made a controversial appearance, of sorts, in the Paris Olympics in 2024. A scene in the opening ceremony evoked the painting and included DJ Barbara Butch – an LGBTQ+ icon – wearing a silver headdress resembling a halo while flanked by drag artists and dancers. France’s Catholic bishops said it mocked Christian symbolism, and the Vatican said it “deplored the offense” caused to Christians by the scene.
Tourists watch from afar
A group of Japanese tourists was among the would-be visitors behind the police cordon on Saturday. They photographed the church from a distance and listened to a guide’s explanation in the middle of the street.
Luisa Castro, a Filipina who has lived in Milan for 20 years, was hoping to visit Santa Maria delle Grazie with friends.
“We are Catholics from the Philippines and we seldom have time to visit a church like this,” she said. “Unfortunately, the vice president of America came to see the Last Supper and we could not enter.”
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