The Santa Maria delle Grazie complex, including The Last Supper, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980.
UNESCO lists the property under the formal name “Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie with ‘The Last Supper’ by Leonardo da Vinci.” The designation protects a combined architectural and artistic heritage site rather than treating the mural as an entirely separate location.
The complex stands in Milan, Italy. Its church and convent were developed in the late 15th century, with work associated with architects including Guiniforte Solari and Donato Bramante. Leonardo painted The Last Supper on the northern wall of the convent’s refectory during the 1490s.
The site was inscribed under UNESCO cultural criteria recognizing exceptional artistic significance and an important interchange of human values. Conservation is especially demanding because the mural’s technique and Milan’s environmental conditions have made it vulnerable to deterioration.