West of the castle, just 1 km away, there is another famous sight of Milan, Santa Maria delle Grazie church. It is a beautiful, very well preserved 15th century building, but the fame of this church comes from what is treasured inside: this is where Leonardo da Vinci painted his The Last Supper, and this is where it is still visible on the wall of the old monastery’s dining hall. The painting underwent several damages due to the partial destruction of the Dominican monastery and it is in overall bad conditions of conservation, because of the innovative technique it was made with, not suited for the moist climate within the monastery. Nevertheless, it is still considered one of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpieces and one of his most interesting and meaningful paintings.
