The Last Supper & Historic Milan: Leonardo, Romans and hidden frescoes

Long before it was Italy's fashion and finance capital, Milan was Mediolanum, a capital of the Roman Empire. This walk traces the city's oldest layers — from the Roman Colonne di San Lorenzo to the UNESCO-listed church that holds Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper — and the astonishing frescoes most tourists never find.

What you'll see on this walk

• Santa Maria delle Grazie — the UNESCO church home to Leonardo's Last Supper
• The Last Supper (Il Cenacolo) — how to see it, and the story of the painting
• San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore — the fresco-covered “Sistine Chapel of Milan” (free)
• Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio — the Romanesque church of Milan's patron saint
• Colonne di San Lorenzo — 16 Roman columns from the 3rd century
• Ancient Mediolanum — traces of the Roman imperial capital

Leonardo's fragile masterpiece

Painted on the refectory wall of Santa Maria delle Grazie in the 1490s, The Last Supper is one of the most famous images in the world — and one of the most fragile. Your guide tells the story of how Leonardo painted it, why it began deteriorating almost immediately, and how to book the timed tickets you need to see it (entry is a separate, limited ticket — we help you plan it).

The Sistine Chapel of Milan

A short walk away, San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore hides one of the city's great secrets: every surface covered in vivid 16th-century frescoes — and entry is free. Your guide explains why so few visitors know about it.

Roman and medieval Milan

The tour also reaches the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio, founded by the city's patron saint in the 4th century, and the Colonne di San Lorenzo — a row of Roman columns that has stood for some 1,700 years. It's the deep history beneath the modern city.

Meeting point & times