Florence is a city with several “Last Suppers” painted over the centuries, we have a series of information on each of the main ones that you can visit in Florence, starting with the one by Taddeo Gaddi in Santa Croce. They are perfect for visiting beautiful artwork away from the larger crowds in the city, as several of them are located in churches and museums “off the beaten track”.
The Last Supper of Fuligno is most definitely not on many itineraries, as it has not been accessible for many years. The space used to be a museum, but since the flood of 1966, it was actually storing many artworks as they awaited restoration. The City of Florence is working on opening it on a more regular basis, but for now, it is only open a few days every month – which is not enough! We need to change that and we do it by going to visit it when it is open. I personally love the beauty and elegance of these “Last Supper” masterpieces, painted by some of the most famous masters of the early Renaissance – Taddeo Gaddi, Andrea del Castagno, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Andrea del Sarto and Pietro Perugino, to name just a few. I want you to include Fuligno on your itinerary while in Florence, and to realize that you’ve seen something special most other people visiting Florence are unaware of and miss completely!
I will do my research to write more about this gorgeous masterpiece; for now, I can tell you that the fresco dates back to the start of the 1300s, it was renovated around 1430 and the beauty of this fresco by Pietro Vannucci, called “il Perugino” will surprise you. The colors are amazing, the features of each of the disciples and Jesus are so detailed you will want to go close to examine the brush strokes. Along one wall you can also see preparatory drawings of the faces which are works of art in themselves. See below, aren’t they magnificent!?
The hall also contains a wooden crucifix attributed to Benedetto da Maiano as well as works by Lorenzo di Credi and il Franciabigio, all artists from the same period and influenced by works done by Perugino. I don’t want to include too many photos to ruin the visit for you, but enough to entice you to go explore.
Have I convinced you to go have a look? Well, here is where it will get dicey: for now, I only have dates from January through March 2025 and they aren’t that many. Check if you already have dates for when you’ll be in Florence, and if they match your own, please include a stop at this little gem hidden away from the crowds. I will try to keep posting back and adding dates as they are posted.
Open only for a few hours in the afternoon – from 2.30pm to 5pm – on these dates:
- January 22 and 23
- February 5 and 6, 19 and 20
- March 5 and 6, 19 and 20
There aren’t that many chances to visit this Last Supper, unfortunately. So if it won’t be open while you’re in Florence, make sure to check out any of the other Last Suppers open on a more regular basis, such as the one in Santa Croce (which houses two Last Suppers, the other being a painting by Giorgio Vasari) but if you want to go away from the crowds, I highly recommend the Last Supper di San Salvi.
