Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan

Commissioned by Ludovico di Moro and designed by Guiniforte Solari, this building was intended as a mausoleum for the Sforzesco dynasty, in which the remains of the duke and his wife, Beatrice d'Este, as well as others connected with the family, were to be laid to rest. The adjoining Dominican convent's cloister and sacristy were later renovated by Bramante. Bramante's façade is of particular interest as is the gallery's terracotta ornamentation, which became one of the dominant motifs in northern Italian Renaissance architecture. One of the most famous paintings, The Last Supper, is housed here. Painted by Leonardo Da Vinci, it is a very complex undertaking and hence a lot of rough sketches were made before he finalized the unbelievable painting, which had its huge share of bad luck all the way. Guests must book in advance.