Cenacolo di Sant'Apollonia — Attraction in Florence

Cenacolo di Sant'Apollonia is graced with amazing frescoes by Andrea del Castagno, with Last Supper being his masterpiece. The artist painted it in 1450, towards the end of his very short life. This great fresco is much less known than its counterparts with the same name by ubiquitous Renaissance artists, but what is amazing here is that Andrea lived and painted it long before Leonardo and other more famous artists. One is struck by the well-structured composition, noble austerity of the detail, meticulous perspective reminding of his other contemporary Tuscan artist Piero della Francesca.

The Cenacolo was once used by the nuns of this Camaldolese convent. It is somewhat away from the beaten track and we visited it on a route I made for this part of the city:

1). Chiostro dello Scalzo - with Andrea del Sarto frescoes 2). Museo di San Marco - Fra Angelico & assistance 3). Cenacolo di Sant'Apollonia 4). Cenacolo di Foligno - Perugino's Last Supper

All four museums are highly recommended. Their additional advantage is that they can be enjoyed in a surprising solitude, far from the unbearably crowded atmosphere of Uffizi. It is also allowed to photograph in Chistro dello Scalzo and in Sant'Apollonia. The only challenge is to verify the visit hours which at the time of our visit in March, 2012 were quite chaotic and required diligent advance planning.

It turned very helpful to visit the Tourist Information Center at Palazzo Medici-Riccardi (where you can view Benozzo Gozzoli and Luca Giordano frescoes) to obtain the most recent opening/closing times for...

This is located in the remnants of the former Benedictine Convent of Sant'Apollonia, founded in 1339. There is a small museum with paintings by Neri di Bicci, Paolo Schiavo and Andrea del Castagno. It was del Castagno's fresco of the "Last Supper" (1447) that we were there to see. It is stunning and so beautifully preserved. Above is the accompanying "Crucifixion, Deposition and Resurrection" which is not well-preserved. The work was unknown for a long time because the nuns were very reclusive. No one knew it was there. Vasari didn't know about it in the 17th century and it is unknown if Michelangelo knew of it or saw it. It was only rediscovered in 1891. In 1961 when it was removed from the wall for preservation the sinopie (under-drawing outlining the composition) was discovered underneath. In the "Last Supper" figures are life-size (the fresco measures almost 10 metres in length and 4.5 metres high) and very expressive. The use of perspective and foreshortening together with the setting of the table under a loggia lend a 3-dimensional feeling to the work.

Other works and sinopie by del Castagno were also on display in the cenacolo. There were a couple of other people who came in whilst we were there. We basically had it to ourselves. There was no entry fee. How amazing it is to be able to pop in through a nondescript door and see...

So easy to walk by this nunnery which was suppressed (and ignored by Vasari) and miss the Refectory (Cenacolo/Il Refettorio) where Andrea del Castagno filled one wall with his Last Supper. I had wondered about the marbled squares behind the Apostles in framed symmetrical squares. The "Madonna in Shadows" by Fra Angelico in the nearby Dominican church of San Marco, now a museum, holds the key. The painting is an altarpiece with marble predellas. Meditating on the now faded bread and wine is all very well, but apparently one is meant to look for deeper details and symbolism in the marbles themselves. Having that third glass of wine on high days and holy days possibly helped these dear strictly secluded souls contemplate more...