Santa Maria delle Grazie

Santa Maria delle Grazie combines a Lombard Gothic church with a Renaissance enlargement associated with Bramante. The church and Dominican convent form the architectural setting of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper and share its UNESCO World Heritage inscription.

Why it matters

The complex records the ambitions of late-fifteenth-century Milan. Its earlier fabric and the grander Renaissance tribune express different architectural languages within a single building. Leonardo's painting in the convent refectory is inseparable from this setting, although it remains a distinct work from the decoration of the church itself.

What to notice

The brick nave contrasts with the rounded apses and dome of the enlarged eastern end. These changes in geometry, scale and light are central to the church's character. The relationship between church, cloister and refectory also preserves the organisation of a Dominican religious house.

Context and history

Guiniforte Solari began the complex in 1463. Its late-fifteenth-century transformation took place under Ludovico Sforza's patronage. Leonardo used an experimental technique on dry plaster for the Last Supper, not traditional fresco. The complex suffered severe bombing damage in 1943 and underwent extensive restoration. UNESCO inscribed the ensemble in 1980.