Leonardo da Vinci’s masterful mural depicting the last Supper is in the Cenacolo Vinciano (Vinciano Refectory) next to the Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie. Painted between 1495 and 1498 in the refectory of the Convento di Santa Maria delle Grazie, Leonardo’s work is believed to capture the moment when Jesus uttered, "One of you will betray me". The word "cenacolo" means refectory, the place where Christ and the 12 Apostles celebrated the Last Supper, and also is used to refer to any mural depicting this scene.
Painstaking restoration of the "Last Supper" began in 1977 and was finally completed in May 1999. Centuries of damage from floods, bombing and decay had left the mural in a lamentable state. The method employed by restorers in the 19th century caused the most damage – their alcohol and cotton wool removed a later from the painting. Even so, Leonardo must yake some of the blame, as his experimental mix of oil and tempera was not very durable. Vasari, the 16th century biographer of Italian artists, observed that it was already fading un his time.