Last Supper tickets - May 2020

Question

Since Tauck has cancelled the private tour of The Last Supper, has anyone had luck securing tickets for this? If so, how? We have checked several websites, including that of the official Last Supper, and tickets aren't yet available.

AlanS · Answer

Access to many cultural and historic sights around the world is and will continue to get more restrictive as time goes on due to the popularity of the sites and the environmental impact of the ever increasing numbers of tourists.  Just a few examples:  The number of people per day allowed to enter Machu Picchu has recently been reduced and supposedly random wandering of the site is no longer allowed- you must have an official guide.  The number of ships visiting the Galapagos in general and visiting each island is restricted and tightly controlled by the government of Ecuador as is the number of people ashore on any one island.  Cruise ships will no longer be allowed to dock in Venice.  They will dock somewhere else.  Access to the pyramids and Valley of the Kings/Queens tombs is restricted, etc.  This is just a small sample.

In Milan, I believe they might still be having problems with the number of tourists visiting the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie to see da Vinci's Last Supper.  Due to the untested method used by Leonardo, the painting started degrading almost immediately after it was finished, so, over the years, it was constantly undergoing conservation and repair, some attempts did more harm than good. Due to the methods used, a variety of environmental factors, and intentional damage, only little of the original painting remains today despite numerous restoration attempts.  The last major repair took 21 years and was completed in 1999.  Also, they worked to improve the air quality and reduce the amount of CO2 and humidity caused by visitors breathing, which were also causing irreparable damage.  The refectory is now a sealed, climate-controlled environment.  Still, visitors are only allowed to spend 15 min. in the refectory.  What you see is a much reworked and severely degraded painting that according to experts looks little like the original.  Of note, there were three near full size copies made within a few years of the original.  According to one source, one copy currently at Tongerlo Abbey in Westerlo near Antwerp, Belgium, an oil on canvas, was created by the Renaissance master's studio assistants, with a few features possibly done by the master himself, just eight years after the completion of the original mural.  The painting matches up near perfectly with the original cartoons (sketches) preserved in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle.  It offers a glimpse into what one of the world’s most famous artworks looked like when it was new.

I thought inquiring minds might want to to know.   :)

sojohoso · Answer

No, we're on the September 13th Milan to Amsterdam and we're told that we're on our own for ticket as well.

British · Answer

It looks as if there is a unique problem on the particular date of your tour. Must be someone important stealing the Tauck spot.