I thought that da Vinci's Last Supper was a painting, but in reality, it is a very fragile fresco. Instead of regular fresco painting on the damp plaster, Leonardo, wanting more time to really explore the emotion of the moment, used a dry painting technique which ended up being very unstable. Five years after it's completion in 1498, the Last Supper was showing signs of deterioration. Considering that the refectory was used as a barrack, the walls for target practice, and during WWII, a bomb left only the Last Supper wall standing, it's amazing there is still a painting at all. We made our reservations to see the Last Supper before we left, as they are "sold out" weeks in advance. At our appointed time, in a group of about 25, we passed through two air locks to stabilize the environment, and were allowed 15 minutes with the fresco. Even with all cleaning and restoration, there are still parts missing, but the emotion is still there. You feel like you are sitting at the table and hearing at that moment, "One of you will betray me". Of course there was no photography of the original, but their was a fake for a photo op. Leonardo is celebrated in Milan as evidenced by this statue overlooking Milan's opera house, La Scala.
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