Giovanni Donato da Montorfano’s Crucifixion (1495) occupies the entire south wall of the Last Supper refectory at Santa Maria delle Grazie — directly opposite Leonardo’s mural. Painted in traditional buon fresco on wet plaster, it has survived in far better condition than The Last Supper. It depicts the Crucifixion of Christ with two thieves on either side, surrounded by soldiers, mourners, and — possibly — members of the Sforza family added by Leonardo da Vinci. Entry is included in all Last Supper tickets.
Almost every visitor who enters the Last Supper refectory looks straight at the north wall and never turns around. What they miss is extraordinary: a vibrant, largely intact 15th-century fresco that would be celebrated as one of Milan’s greatest artworks if it weren’t in the same room as Leonardo’s mural.
You are already in the room with it. You just need to turn around.
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Table of Contents
Who Was Giovanni Donato da Montorfano?
Giovanni Donato da Montorfano (c.1440–1503) was a Milanese painter from a family of artists. His father Cristoforo was a sculptor and cathedral artist, and Giovanni trained within this professional dynasty. He worked primarily in fresco and was well-regarded in late 15th-century Milan.
The Crucifixion at Santa Maria delle Grazie is his most celebrated surviving work. It is signed and dated at the base of the cross: JOHANNES DONATUS DE MONTORFANO P. 1495 — placing it in the same year that Leonardo began work on The Last Supper opposite. The two artists worked in the same room during the same period, using completely different techniques, for the same patron, Ludovico Sforza.
What the Painting Shows
The Crucifixion depicts Christ on the cross with two thieves on either side, set against a detailed landscape of Jerusalem. The scene is populated with soldiers on horseback, mourners at the foot of the cross (including Mary Magdalene, the Virgin Mary, and John the Apostle), and a crowd of onlookers. The composition is vertical and structured, with Christ at the apex and the figures arranged in a pyramidal formation around the base of the cross.
Figures at the base of the cross: The Virgin Mary (in blue, supported by women), Mary Magdalene (kneeling, embracing the base), John the Apostle (in red, to the Virgin’s right), and other holy women.
The thieves: To Christ’s left and right on their own crosses. The good thief (Dismas, to Christ’s right) is traditionally shown turning toward Christ; the bad thief turns away.
The soldiers: A group on horseback to the right of the composition, armoured in late 15th-century Milanese style — the armour is contemporary to the painting, not historically Roman. This was standard practice in devotional art of the period.
Jerusalem in the background: A detailed landscape of walls, towers, and hills, painted with the precision that characterises Milanese fresco work of this period.
Why It Has Survived Better Than The Last Supper
Montorfano used buon fresco — painting on wet plaster with water-based pigments, which bond chemically into the wall as it dries. This creates an extremely stable surface. Leonardo, by contrast, painted on dry plaster with oil and tempera, which never fully bonded to the wall and began detaching within years. Five centuries later, Montorfano’s colours are vibrant where Leonardo’s are largely lost.
| Feature | Montorfano’s Crucifixion | Leonardo’s Last Supper |
| Date | 1495 | 1495–1498 |
| Technique | Buon fresco (wet plaster) | Tempera and oil on dry plaster |
| Wall | South wall | North wall |
| Preservation | Vibrant, largely intact | Fragile, heavily damaged and restored |
| Style | Structured, ceremonial | Expressive, psychologically dynamic |
| Ticket | Included with Last Supper entry | Included with Last Supper entry |
Did Leonardo Paint the Sforza Portraits?
Art historian Giorgio Vasari recorded that Leonardo da Vinci painted portraits of Duke Ludovico Sforza, his wife Beatrice d’Este, and their sons Maximilian and Francesco Sforza into the lower section of Montorfano’s Crucifixion. These portraits were allegedly painted after Montorfano completed the main fresco. They are barely visible today due to damage, but traces remain — the kneeling figures at the base of the composition in prayer, depicted in Sforza colours.
If Vasari’s account is accurate, the two artists did not merely work in the same room — Leonardo literally added to Montorfano’s completed work. The Crucifixion would then contain layers by both of the most significant painters present in Milan in the 1490s. This possibility is part of what makes the painting more than a historical footnote.
How to See It
The Crucifixion is on the south wall — the wall behind you as you enter the refectory facing north (toward The Last Supper). You will walk past the entrance door, stop in front of Leonardo’s mural, and need to consciously turn around to see Montorfano’s work.
Entry: The Crucifixion is included in all Last Supper tickets. No additional booking or payment is required.
Lighting: The south wall receives different lighting than the north wall, and it can take a moment for your eyes to adjust from the bright lighting on The Last Supper.
The detail: Unlike The Last Supper, Montorfano’s fresco retains fine surface detail — the texture of armour, the folds of fabric, the individual features of faces. These are visible because the technique preserved them.
Yet another comparison: Tourists often find themselves not only comparing The Crucifixion and The Last Supper but also debating whether to prioritize a visit to Santa Maria delle Grazie or the Duomo di Milano. For those who wish to experience both these cathedrals, the good news is that it’s entirely feasible to visit both in a single day. Here’s a quick guide on how to travel from the di Milano to Santa Maria delle Grazie.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Crucifixion by Montorfano included in the Last Supper ticket?
Yes. All visitors to the Last Supper refectory see both paintings as part of the same timed entry. No separate ticket or additional charge applies.
Why do most visitors miss the Crucifixion?
Because the natural instinct on entering the refectory is to look directly at the north wall where The Last Supper is. The south wall is behind you. Without a deliberate decision to turn around, most visitors leave without having seen it.
Is the Crucifixion by Montorfano better preserved than the Last Supper?
Yes. Montorfano used buon fresco, which bonds pigment into the plaster permanently. His colours remain vibrant. Leonardo’s experimental dry-plaster technique began deteriorating within years of completion, and the painting has been heavily restored.