MILAN – Visitors flocking to Milan during the Winter Olympics, eager to catch a glimpse of Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic “The Last Supper,” were met with an unexpected disappointment: the artwork was off-limits to the public for three and a half days.

Crafted between 1494 and 1498 by the renowned Italian Renaissance master, this celebrated mural adorns a wall in the dining hall of Santa Maria delle Grazie, a church and Dominican convent still active today. It draws art enthusiasts and devout followers alike, making it a cultural and spiritual hotspot.

Tourists halted by police at the entrance to Santa Maria delle Grazie expressed their frustration. Among them was Antonio Rodríguez, who journeyed from Spain with his friends, only to find their weekend getaway dashed by the closure, leaving no time to experience the painting or the nearby church.

“We hadn’t anticipated this,” Rodríguez lamented, noting that they had no other plans tied to the Olympic festivities. “We would have explored other parts of the city instead.”

According to a notice posted on the exterior of Il Cenacolo Vinciano, the site would remain closed throughout February 5th, 6th, and 7th, as well as the morning of February 8th, without any explanation provided. Staff on-site informed an Associated Press journalist that they were not permitted to disclose further details.

Despite the closure, VIPs were granted access on Saturday, leaving the rest of the visitors to wait in anticipation.

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 Sunday after 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. Environmental damage and repeated restoration attempts altered its appearance and prompted ongoing conservation efforts.

Nowadays, visits last about 15 minutes for a maximum number of 40 people at a time and temperature and humidity are strictly controlled.

Leonardo’s painting depicts the moment after Jesus tells his apostles: “One of you will betray me.” The scene’s composition has had other interpretations by previous artists, but Leonardo reinterpreted it, placing Jesus at the center and arranging the apostles in four groups of three figures.

Aside from conservation issues derived from the dry technique used by Leonardo, the mural suffered deterioration when the refectory housing it was used as a stable in the late 1700s during the French occupation of Milan by Napoleon’s troops. Later, it was severely damaged when Allied bombing struck the Santa Maria delle Grazie complex in 1943 during World War II.

It made a controversial appearance, of sorts, in the Paris Olympics in 2024. A scene in the opening ceremony evoked the painting, and included DJ Barbara Butch — an LGBTQ+ icon — wearing a silver headdress resembling a halo while flanked by drag artists and dancers.

France’s Catholic bishops said it mocked Christian symbolism, and the Vatican said it “deplored the offense” caused to Christians by the scene.

Tourists watch from afar

A group of Japanese tourists was among the would-be visitors behind the police cordon on Saturday. They photographed the church from a distance and listened to a guide’s explanation in the middle of the street.

Luisa Castro, a Filipina who has lived in Milan for 20 years, was hoping to visit Santa Maria delle Grazie with friends.

“We are Catholics from the Philippines and we seldom have time to visit a church like this,” she said. “Unfortunately, the vice president of America came to see the Last Supper and we could not enter.”

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Associated Press writers Colleen Barry and Michelle Price in Milan contributed to this report.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.