Santa Maria Delle Grazie Easter

Santa Maria Delle Grazie is a church that has stood for a long time, and like other churches, it also observes special activities on Easter.

The church is most notable for “The Last Supper” painting by Leonardo Da Vinci on a wall of the refectory.

It also features the fresco “Crucifixion” by Giovanni Donato da Montorfano. 

Apart from the art, the church is also renowned for its architecture and the history it has accumulated during its long-standing existence, and it also holds heavy cultural weight.

The church was built for years, with the work finally completed in 1497. It withstood different times in history, including bombing during World War II.

The mural was saved by sandbagging, and the church was repaired in the aftermath. Many efforts have been made throughout history which have made preserving “The Last Supper” artwork possible. 

Various tourists visit the church to take a look at the Gothic and Renaissance architecture along with the fresco and mural in a curated setting.

Visitors are only allowed a limited time in the refectory to prevent the mural from natural degradation. 

Easter and Saint Maria Delle Grazie

Easter is a festival celebrated by Christians; it notes the day on which Jesus was resurrected from the crucifixion `according to the New Testament.

Easter is not just celebrated on a day, but Christians indulge in prayer and fasting leading up to the day as well.

The week before Easter also has days with significance leading up to the festival, such as Palm Sunday, Spy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

Easter does not fall on the same date in the Gregorian calendar and is a lunisolar festival, meaning that it is decided based on the solar calendar and the moon phase.

The festival of Easter includes giving gifts to each other, family feasts, special service in the church and Easter eggs.

The Easter eggs are blessed by the priests in some churches on the occasion of Easter. They are considered a blessed meal on the day.

The Easter eggs in Christianity are seen as a symbol of the empty tomb of Jesus, as it is believed that Jesus was resurrected after being crucified.

There was a tradition to paint the eggs red, signifying the blood of Jesus shed during the crucifixion, but nowadays, you will see Easter eggs in multiple colors.

The 40-day fasting period before Easter, known as Lent, used to be a time when eggs were prohibited.

That is why, on the occasion of Easter, Christians would get to eat them again. Hence, they hold an important place in customs and traditions celebrating Easter.

Modern customs see eggs sometimes being replaced by chocolate eggs or colored plastic eggs with a treat inside them.

The eggs are hidden around the house by The Easter Bunny as children look to find them. 

Children look for the Easter eggs and find sweets in them. The eggs are sometimes also placed in a basket filled with straws resembling a nest.

The Church During Easter Time

The Saint Maria Delle Grazie church also holds special services during Easter, which is why if you are taking a tour of the church that day, it may be affected.

The significance of Easter is heightened at Saint Maria Delle Grazie. The days of Easter Triduum include Maundy Thursday, which notes Maundy and The Last Supper.

The Easter Triduum is a period of holy days also known as “Three Days,” starting from the evening of Maundy Thursday and culminating with prayer in the evening on Easter Sunday.

These three holy days also involve commemorating “The Last Supper”, which, according to Christian beliefs, is the last meal that Jesus had with his disciples before the crucifixion.

The most popular painting of “The Last Supper” is in Saint Maria Delle Grazie, providing the church with enormous significance from a religious point of view.

Even if one just attends as a tourist, the painting or mural that is six centuries old still holds up well from an artistic point of view.

The preservation of the artwork and the cultural, religious and historic significance it holds makes Leonardo Da Vinci’s mural special. 

You can have an awesome experience with the Last Supper Entrance Ticket And Guided Tour as you get to witness the mural and learn more about the history of the church in an informative and absorbing guided tour.

With the church having religious as well as artistic importance and the opportunity to view “The Last Supper” mural during Easter celebrations, people visit in large numbers.

The tickets sell out fast due to the high demand and the limited number of visitors that are allowed to visit at once.

It is best to get guided tour tickets for a detailed and better experience. Whatever you do, do it quick, for Easter is one of the peak seasons in terms of crowd density.

Featured Image: Booblgum from Getty Images (Canva)