MILAN (AP) — Visitors to Milan during the Winter Olympics to see Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” were in for an unwelcome surprise: The masterpiece will be closed to the public for 3 1/2 days.
This painting was created by an Italian Renaissance artist between 1494 and 1498 and is located on the wall inside the refectory of the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, a church and Dominican convent still used by monks today. It is a major attraction for both art connoisseurs and devout Catholics.
Tourists were disappointed after police blocked the streets leading to the Santa Maria delle Grazie church. Antonio Rodriguez, who came from Spain with friends, said they had no other chance to see the painting or the nearby church because they were only traveling for the weekend.
“We had no idea we were facing this,” Rodriguez said, adding that he had no plans to participate in Olympic-related events. “We’ll go somewhere else in town.”
A sign on the exterior wall of 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 giving any reason. Staff there told The Associated Press they were not authorized to provide any information.
VIP admission is still allowed on Saturdays
What the frustrated tourists didn’t know was that on Saturday, multiple groups of VIPs were not restricted.
That includes Vice President Vance and his family, according to a statement from the vice president’s office. Their visit comes the morning after he met Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni and attended the Olympic opening ceremony.
Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019, which he said brought him spiritual fulfillment. He visited Rome and the Vatican City during Holy Week last year and was one of the last world leaders to meet Pope Francis before his death. They sat together on Easter Sunday after a long-distance debate over the Trump administration’s immigrant deportation plans.
In addition to Vance, many foreign delegations have visited the Last Supper and the Brera Gallery in recent days, including delegations from China, Poland, Hungary and Bulgaria, Angelo Crespi, director of the Greater Brera Museum, which oversees both institutions, said in a statement.
“We interpret our role responsibly, not only in tourism but also in international relations,” he said.
Traffic was diverted in the area around the religious site on Saturday. People walking on nearby streets said public transport was also disrupted.
“The streetcars were changed without any notice,” Fedeli Gioia said. “The whole area is cordoned off because someone wants to visit Il Cenacolo? What does that leave us citizens to do?”
This painting – with care and luck – has been preserved for centuries
The Last Supper was described by the famous writer Giorgio Vasari as “a beautiful and wonderful thing” and has been preserved under strict conservation conditions.
Rather than create a fresco that allowed the paint to be absorbed into the plaster, Leonardo used a drying technique that made the fresco more susceptible to deterioration. Environmental damage and repeated restoration attempts have changed its appearance and prompted ongoing conservation efforts.
Today, each visit lasts about 15 minutes, can accommodate up to 40 people, and has strict temperature and humidity controls.
Leonardo’s painting depicts the moment after Jesus tells his apostles, “One of you will betray me.” Previous artists had other interpretations of the composition of this scene, but Leonardo reinterpreted it, placing Jesus in the center and arranging the apostles into four groups of three figures each.
In addition to the conservation issues posed by the drying techniques used by Leonardo, the fresco also suffered damage when the refectory was used as a stable during the French occupation of Milan by Napoleon’s troops in the late 1700s. Later, in 1943 during World War II, the Allied forces bombed the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, causing it serious damage.
It caused controversy at the 2024 Paris Olympics. A scene at the opening was reminiscent of the painting, including DJ Barbara Butch (LGBTQ+ icon) wearing a halo-like silver headdress, flanked by drag artists and dancers.
French Catholic bishops said it made a mockery of Christian symbolism, and the Vatican said it “regrets” the scene was offensive to Christians.
Tourists watch from a distance
Among the would-be tourists behind a police cordon on Saturday was a group of Japanese tourists. They took photos of the church from a distance and listened to the tour guide’s explanation in the middle of the street.
Luisa Castro, a Filipino who has lived in Milan for 20 years, wanted to visit Santa Maria delle Grazie with friends.
“We are Catholics from the Philippines and we rarely have time to visit churches like this,” she said. “Unfortunately, the Vice President of the United States came to see The Last Supper and we couldn’t go 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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AP religion coverage is supported through the AP’s partnership with The Conversation US and grants from the Lilly Endowment Inc. The Associated Press is solely responsible for this content.
