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Calabria and Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper

87010 Saracena CS, Italia ★★★★☆ 345 views
Francesca Cinelli
Saracena
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About Calabria and Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper

Calabria and Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper - Saracena | Secret World Trip Planner

A copy of the "Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci, of which we do not know with certainty neither author nor time, was discovered some time ago in the refectory of the Capuchin monastery of Saracena, a town in the province of Cosenza, on Mount Pollino, abandoned for years. The news was spread on Facebook by the associations "Mystery Hunters" and "Mistyca Calabria". The convent, reachable only on foot, was founded in 1588 and gained importance in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, becoming the seat of the novitiate and place of study. For example, Angelo d'Acri (born Lucantonio Falcone, an Italian presbyter, was declared blessed by Pope Leo XII) spent a year there. The structure closed in 1915, and from 1917 to 1918 it was used as a prison. To attribute the mural to the Apulian painter Giacomo Bissanti (1822-1879), already working in the Calabrian town, in the sixteenth-century church of Santa Maria del Gamio (that is of divine Love), is today the historian Vincenzo Napolillo in an article in the periodical of the archdiocese of Cosenza "Word of Life". According to the reconstruction of the scholar, on which not everyone agrees, Bissanti, commissioned by the Capuchins, reproduced with great skill and fidelity the monumental fresco preserved in the original, in Milan, in the Renaissance ex-refectory of the convent adjacent to the sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie. "And the reproduction - Napolillo specifies - is of excellent workmanship, even if the author did not want to attribute it to himself, having probably taken it from a print of the time so as not to take anything away from the majesty of the original".

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    Calabria and Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper
    📍 Saracena
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Frequently Asked Questions

The monastery is located in Saracena, a town in the province of Cosenza on Mount Pollino in Calabria, southern Italy. The convent is situated in a remote location that is only reachable on foot, adding to its mystique and requiring visitors to come prepared for a hiking adventure.
The monastery can only be reached on foot from Saracena, so visitors should wear appropriate hiking gear and plan their trip accordingly. Since the convent has been abandoned for years, it's advisable to check local conditions and possibly contact local associations like 'Mystery Hunters' or 'Mistyca Calabria' for current access information before visiting.
According to historian Vincenzo Napolillo, the fresco was likely painted by Apulian artist Giacomo Bissanti (1822-1879), who was already working in Calabria at the time. Bissanti skillfully reproduced the composition from a print of Leonardo's original, deliberately not attributing the work to himself to preserve the majesty of da Vinci's masterpiece.
The convent was founded in 1588 and gained significant importance during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries as a novitiate and study center, hosting notable religious figures like Blessed Angelo d'Acri. The structure closed in 1915 and was repurposed as a prison from 1917 to 1918 before being abandoned.
The Saracena copy is a skillfully executed reproduction of Leonardo's original Last Supper, which is preserved in Milan's Santa Maria delle Grazie monastery refectory. Historian Napolillo notes that Bissanti's version is of excellent workmanship, reproduced with fidelity from a period print to honor rather than replace the Renaissance masterpiece.