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Leonardo’s Vineyard
Leonardo's Vineyard is located in Milan, in front of the Santa Maria delle Grazie church; it was given to Leonardo by Ludovico il Moro
In 1919 the architect Piero Portaluppi began renovating the Casa degli Atellani residence – in front of the Santa Maria delle Grazie church – just as another architect, Luca Beltrami, an expert on Leonardo da Vinci’s life and work, discovered that the villa’s garden was actually a vineyard given to Leonardo by his patron, Ludovico il Moro, Duke of Milan. Duly inspected, Beltrami found it miraculously intact.
Unfortunately the vineyard was later destroyed by a fire and some questionable urban planning choices, and it wasn’t until 2015, the year of the World Expo in Milan, that the owners of the house and the Portaluppi Foundation restored it to its original glory by planting the same strain of vines.
Today Leonardo’s Vineyard and the Atellani residence are open to the public, and while strolling around the gardens it’s not hard to imagine Leonardo coming home after a long day’s work at the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where he was painting the Last Supper commissioned by Ludovico il Moro, and going out into those same gardens to check on his vines.
Opening hours
Open: all year
Opening times: 9 am-5.30 pm
Admission: charge
