Santa Maria delle Grazie

Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie with "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Italy
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii
Reference	93
Region**	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	1980  (4th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO.

The Gothic nave

Santa Maria delle Grazie ("Our Lady of Grace") is a famous church and Dominican convent in Milan, included in the UNESCO World Heritage sites list.

The church is also famous for the mural of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, which is in the refectory of the convent.

History

The Duke of Milan Francesco I Sforza ordered to build a Dominican convent and a church in the place where a small chapel dedicated to St. Mary of the Graces was.

The main architect was Guiniforte Solari, the convent was completed by 1469 while the church took more time. The new duke Ludovico Sforza decided to have the church as the Sforza family burial place and rebuild the cloister and the apse which were completed after 1490.

Ludovico's wife Beatrice was buried in the church in 1497.

The apse of the church is widely believed to be by Donato Bramante. However, there's no real evidence of the fact, but that Bramante lived in Milan at the time, and he is once quoted in the acts of the church (a marble delivery in 1494). He continued the gothic style from the first part, but mixed with romanic influence. The slightly excessive height of this apse has received some critics.^{[citation needed]}

World War II

Santa Maria delle Grazie

Bramante's apse

The night of 15 August 1943, bombs dropped by British and American planes hit the church and the convent. Much of the refectory was destroyed, but some walls survived, including the one that holds the Last Supper, which had been sand-bagged for protection.

See also

• The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci.
• Dominican Order.
• Roman Catholic Marian churches

References

• Milano. Italian Touring Club. 2003. ISBN 88-365-2766-3. 
• Lòpez, Guido (2002). I Signori di Milano. Rome: Newton & Compton. ISBN 88-8289-951-9. 

External links

• Official website (English version)
• Leonardo's Last Supper: QTVR
• 360degree panorama inside the church

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Coordinates: 45°27′57″N 9°10′16″E / 45.46583°N 9.17111°E / 45.46583; 9.17111

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