Thankfully, we had done our own research, and knew that reservations (made in advance) were required to see Leonardo's masterpiece. So, we arrived at Santa Maria delle Grazie actually a bit too early for our designated entry time.
After satisfying our sweet tooth and having a cappuccino, visiting The Last Supper gift shop (capitalism at its finest), and touring the adjacent church structures, we entered the inner sanctum of UNESCO's Last Supper Museum.
Remember, we only had 15 minutes to view the painting, which is really all one needs as this is only one of two paintings in the museum. Carefully guarded by museum security, dimly lit to protect the painting (it had recently been restored but time has not been kind to the painting), access only granted for tour guided groups of 20 or less, and a myriad of doors closing behind me before other doors opened in front of me, told me, had I not already known it, that we were getting ready to view something extraordinary.
Yes. I actually gasped when I rounded the corner and there...it...was. (And no, this is not my photo - that was strictly forbidden and I complied due to the museum security hovering over me and the small size of our tour group. You can also see Jesus's feet in this picture - read on).
Da Vinci actually painted this as a mural on a wall of the church using a different painting technique. The artist apparently chose not to paint on wet plaster, as was the norm for the day, but rather, applyed tempera paint to the dry wall instead. Some years later, priests cut a door in the bottom othe painting to allow easier access to the kitchen, thus cutting out Jesus' feet. Today, this opening as been closed, sans restoration of Christ's feet. Hence, the deterioration. Still, quite amazing.
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