Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Don't Miss
Il Cenacolo
When Leonardo was at work on
Il Cenacolo
( 02 9280 0360;
www.cenacolovinciano.net
;
Piazza Santa Maria delle Grazie 2; adult/reduced €6.50/3.25, plus €1.50
booking fee; 8.15am-7pm Mon-Sat; Cadorna),
a star-struck monk noted that he would
sometimes arrive in the morning, stare at yesterday's effort, then promptly call it
quits for the day. Your visit too will be similarly brief (15 minutes to be exact) but
the baggage of a thousand dodgy reproductions are quickly shed once face to face
with the luminous work itself. Da Vinci's experimental techniques and years of
wear have left the mural fragile, but its condition does nothing to lessen the aston-
ishing beauty and enthralling psychological drama before you.
The Basilica
Any visit to
Il Cenacolo
should be accompanied by a tour of Santa Maria delle Gra-
zie, a Unesco World Heritage site. Designed by Guiniforte Solari with later addi-
tions by Bramante, it encapsulates the magnificence of the court of Ludovico 'il
Moro' Sforza and Beatrice d'Este. Articulated in fine brickwork and terracotta, the
building is robust but fanciful, its apse topped by Bramante's cupola and its interi-
or lined with frescoes.
Codex Atlanticus
The
Codex Atlanticus
is the largest collection of da Vinci's drawings in the world.
More than 1700 of them were gathered by sculptor Pompeo Leoni, enough to
make up 12 volumes so heavy they threatened the preservation of the drawings
themselves. The sheets have now been unbound and are displayed in softly lit
glass cases in Bramante's sacristy.
