Tourists stopped from seeing The Last Supper, while Olympic VIPs including Vance visit
MILAN (AP) — Tourists coming to Milan hoping to see Leonardo da Vinci’s work during the Winter Olympics “The Last Supper” We got an unpleasant surprise: Access to the masterpiece is closed to the public for 3 1/2 days.
The painting was painted between 1494 and 1498. Italian Renaissance artistIt is located on a wall inside the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, a church and Dominican convent still used by monks. It is a major attraction for both those who appreciate art and devout Catholics.
Tourists trapped in the police cordon down the street leading to Santa Maria delle Grazie were disappointed. Antonio Rodríguez, who came from Spain with his friends, said that they would not have the chance to see the painting and the church next to it because they were only traveling for the weekend.
“We didn’t know we would encounter this,” Rodríguez said, adding that he did not plan to participate in Games-related events. “We would go to another part of town.”
A sign on the wall outside Il Cenacolo Vinciano stated that access to the landmark would be closed all day on February 5, 6, and 7, and on the morning of February 8, without reason. Staff there told a reporter from The Associated Press that they were not authorized to release any information.
VIPs are still allowed in on Saturday
Unbeknownst to frustrated visitors, multiple VIP groups were exempt from the restrictions on Saturday.
These included US Vice President J.D. Vance and his family, according to a statement from the vice president’s office. They visited the morning after meeting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and attending the opening ceremony of the Games.
Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019 and said it brought him a sense of spiritual fulfillment. He visited Rome and the Vatican City during Holy Week last year and was among the last world leaders to meet Pope Francis before his death. They sat together Easter Sunday It follows a long-distance dispute over the Trump administration’s plans to deport immigrants.
Angelo Crespi, Grande Brera’s director who oversees both institutions, said in his statement that, in addition to Vance, many foreign delegations, including China, Poland, Hungary and Bulgaria, have visited the Last Supper and the Brera Art Gallery in recent days.
“We interpret our role responsibly not only in terms of tourism but also in terms of international relations,” he said.
Traffic around the religious site was diverted on Saturday. People walking on nearby streets also said public transport was disrupted.
“The trams were changed without any notification,” said Fedeli Gioia. “Is this entire area closed off because someone might see Il Cenacolo? So where does that leave us citizens?”
A painting that has survived for centuries with care and luck
The Last Supper, described by the famous writer Giorgio Vasari as “a beautiful and magnificent thing” in his writings, is preserved under strict preservation conditions.
Rather than creating a fresco that would allow the paint to be absorbed by the plaster, Leonardo used a dry technique that would make it more vulnerable to deterioration. Environmental damage and repeated restoration attempts have altered the structure’s appearance and led to ongoing preservation efforts.
Today, visits last about 15 minutes for a maximum of 40 people at a time, and temperature and humidity are tightly controlled.
Leonardo’s painting depicts the moment after Jesus tells his disciples, “One of you will betray me.” The composition of the scene has been subject to other interpretations by previous artists, but Leonardo reinterpreted it, placing Christ in the center and dividing the apostles into four groups of three figures.
Aside from preservation problems arising from the dry technique used by Leonardo, the mural suffered deterioration when the refectory shelter was used as a stable during the French occupation of Milan by Napoleon’s troops in the late 1700s. It was later severely damaged in 1943 when Allied bombing during World War II hit the Santa Maria delle Grazie complex.
He made a somewhat controversial appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics. opening ceremony DJ Barbara Butch, an LGBTQ+ icon, wore a silver headdress resembling a halo, accompanied by drag artists and dancers.
France’s Catholic bishops said this mocked Christian symbolismand the Vatican said this “I felt sorry for the crime” The scene caused Christians.
Tourists watch from afar
A group of Japanese tourists were among the 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 Filipino who has lived in Milan for 20 years, was hoping to visit Santa Maria delle Grazie with her friends.
“We are Catholics from the Philippines and we rarely have time to visit a church like this,” he said. “Unfortunately, America’s vice president came to see the Last Supper and we couldn’t get in.”
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Associated Press writers Colleen Barry and Michelle Price in Milan contributed to this report.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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Associated Press religious coverage gets support through APs partnership With The Conversation US, funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. AP is solely responsible for this content.
