Tourists stopped from seeing The Last Supper, while Olympic VIPs including Vance visit 

[AP Photo]

Tourists to Milan during the Winter Olympics hoping to see Leonardo da Vinci’s “ The Last Supper” were in for an unwelcome surprise: Access to the masterpiece is closed to the public for 3 1/2 days.

The painting, created between 1494 and 1498 by the Italian Renaissance artist, is located on a wall inside the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, a church and Dominican convent still used by friars. It is a major attraction for appreciators of art and devout Catholics alike.

Tourists stuck at the police cordon down the street leading to Santa Maria delle Grazie were disappointed. Antonio Rodríguez, who traveled from Spain with friends, said they would have no other chance to see the painting nor the adjacent church since they only traveled for the weekend.

“We didn’t know we would face this,” said Rodríguez, adding he had no plans to attend events related to the Games. “We would have gone somewhere else in the city.”

A sign on the wall outside Il Cenacolo Vinciano stated that access to the landmark would be closed all day on Feb. 5, 6 and 7, and the morning of Feb. 8, without giving any reason. Staff there told a reporter from The Associated Press they were not authorized to provide any information.

VIPs still allowed in on Saturday

Unbeknownst to frustrated visitors, multiple groups of VIPs were exempt from the restrictions on Saturday.

Among them were U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his family, according to a statement from the vice president’s office. They visited the morning after he met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and attended the Games’ opening ceremony.

Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019, which he has said brought him a sense of spiritual fulfillment. He visited Rome and Vatican City during Holy Week last year, and was among the last world leaders to meet Pope Francis before his passing. They sat down together on Easter Sundayafter a long-distance tangle over the Trump administration’s migrant deportation plans.

In addition to Vance, many foreign delegations have visited The Last Supper and the Brera Art Gallery in recent days, including those of China, Poland, Hungary and Bulgaria, Angelo Crespi, the director of Grande Brera that oversees both institutions, said in a statement.

“We interpret our role responsibly, not only in terms of tourism but also in terms of international relations,” he said.

Traffic in the area surrounding the religious site on Saturday was diverted. People walking along nearby streets said public transportation was disrupted, as well.

“The trams were changed without any notice,” said Fedeli Gioia. “This whole area is blocked because someone is going to see Il Cenacolo? And where does that leave us citizens?”

A painting that — with care and luck — has survived for centuries

The Last Supper — described by renowned writer Giorgio Vasari as “a beautiful and marvelous thing” in his writings — is preserved under strict conservation conditions.

Instead of creating a fresco that would have allowed the paint to be absorbed by plaster, Leonardo used a dry technique that made it much more vulnerable to deterioration. MARÍA TERESA HERNÁNDEZ, MILAN, MDT/AP