My wife and I will be in Italy in October 2016 and as part of our itinerary we will be taking the train from Manarola to Varenna on Lake Como.. The train passes through Milan.. Do you believe there would be time to stop on the way to see the Last Supp er fresco? I understand reservations are needed and the time allowed to see the fresco is short. We were thinking we could stop on the way to Varenna, see the fresco and perhaps the Duomo and then continue on to Varenna. Opinions?
Michael
Posted by
Nashville, TN, USA
795 posts
I'd definitely make reservations and see it. You don't get to stay long but it is worth it.
Posted by
Green Bay
21370 posts
Certainly possible. The trick is getting a reservation for the Last Supper. Time slots get sucked up by tour agencies and resold as part of a Milan guided walking tour. They are not all that bad as they do cover the Duomo and other central Milan sites. Most take about 3 hours, so I would plan a 6 hour stop over in Milan. Store luggage at Milano Centrale storage room, which can take some time as well if there are a lot of people. Then buy 2 day tickets for Milan transit, easiest to buy at a tabacchi, then ride the Metro to the Duomo and also cover the return to Centrale when you are done.
Posted by
Carmel, CA, USA
2456 posts
Michael, I agree with Sam. I had this situation a couple of years ago, although my starting point and ultimate destination were different from yours. I took a Dark Rome walking tour from about 2 to 5:30 pm. It started near the Duomo, toured inside and outside the Duomo (but not the roof), walked through the Galleria, by La Scala, through but not inside the Fort, and then on to the church which houses The Last Supper. Our group then spent 15 minutes in the anteroom, to dry us or whatever, then 15 minutes in the room with the large painting, along with another painting at the other end of the room, that everyone ignored. As I remember, we could not get so close to the painting to actually see individual brush strokes, etc. When we left, the guide helped get each of us directed toward whatever was our next destination. I remember the cost of this guided tour being around $75. I think many people take these tours because they can't otherwise get a reservation to see the painting on their own schedule. By the way, The Last Supper is not actually a fresco, but a mural painting. A fresco is painted on still-wet plaster, a technique developed by Giotto I believe, while The Last Supper was painted on a dry plaster wall, thus is considered a mural painting. Gee, I sound like an expert, but I definitely am not, just a tourist with a pretty good memory.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
You DO NOT HAVE TO BUY A TOUR to see Leonardo's Last Supper. You can get tickets from a broker at a markup price, but nowhere near the cost of a tour. I useSelect Otaly often, they email you the voucher within minutes.
You must be there about a half hour prior to your appointment, so factor in travel time when you book. Then go to the Duomo, see the Duomo and take the Metro from the Duomo stop back to the train station, retrieve your luggage, and be on your way.