Getting There
Getting to Santa Maria delle Grazie for The Last Supper
The church and the Cenacolo museum share a square but not a door. Here is how to reach Piazza di Santa Maria delle Grazie and find the right entrance.
Check dates and availability ↗Getting to Piazza di Santa Maria delle Grazie
| Route | Mode | Approx time |
|---|---|---|
| Conciliazione (M1, red line) | Walk | About 5 minutes |
| Cadorna (M1/M2 interchange) | Walk | About 8 minutes |
| Piazza del Duomo / Via Torino | Tram 16 | About 15-20 minutes, drops at the door |
One square, two separate entrances
The Last Supper and the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie sit on the same square, Piazza di Santa Maria delle Grazie, but they are not the same visit. The church itself has its own free entrance, while the Cenacolo Vinciano museum housing the mural has a completely separate entrance, requiring the paid, timed ticket described elsewhere in this guide. Don't assume that reaching the square means you're at the right door — a lot of visitors queue at the church entrance by mistake and then have to backtrack once they realise the museum door is elsewhere on the same block.
The fastest route: Conciliazione metro
The closest metro stop is Conciliazione, on the M1 red line, roughly 450 metres from the square — about a five-minute walk. This is the most direct route from most points in central Milan, since the M1 line runs through the Duomo area and several other central interchanges. If you're staying anywhere near the red line, this is the route to default to, and it leaves the shortest possible margin for error if you're cutting it close to your mandatory 30-minute check-in window before a timed slot. Your reservation from cenacolovinciano.org will list the exact refectory entrance, so save it to your phone before you set off.
The backup route: Cadorna
Cadorna station, where the M1 and M2 lines interchange, sits about 650 metres from the square, roughly an eight-minute walk. It's a useful alternative if you're coming from the green M2 line and don't want to change trains to reach Conciliazione directly, or if you're arriving from Malpensa airport, since the Malpensa Express train terminates at Cadorna. It adds a few extra minutes of walking compared with Conciliazione, but it's a straightforward, well-signed route through a part of Milan that's easy to navigate on foot, even for a first-time visitor arriving straight off the airport train.
The scenic route: Tram 16 from the Duomo
If you're starting near Piazza del Duomo or Via Torino, historic Tram 16 runs directly along Corso Magenta and stops right outside the church, so you step off almost at the entrance. The ride takes roughly 15 to 20 minutes depending on traffic, longer than the metro options but a pleasant way to see a slice of the city above ground rather than underground. It's a good choice if you're not in a rush and want the tram experience itself, but build in extra buffer time compared with the metro if you're working against a strict check-in deadline.
One UNESCO site, two buildings
Santa Maria delle Grazie — the church, its convent, and The Last Supper together — has been recognised as a single UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980. That shared designation is part of why the two spaces feel connected even though they operate as separate visits with separate entrances and separate rules. Understanding that they're formally one heritage listing, but functionally two different queues, helps set expectations before you arrive: you can visit the free church without a reservation, but the mural itself is only reachable through its own dedicated, ticketed door.