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Tongerlo Abbey and Leonardo's Last Supper — Westerlo
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Art, Theaters and Museums 📍 Westerlo, Belgium 973 views

Tongerlo Abbey and Leonardo's Last Supper

In the Tongerlo Abbey of the Norbertijnen congregation there is a small museum built especially for the copy of Leonardo da Vinci's painting The Last Supper. The original dates from 1498 and the copy from 1506-07. Most people don't know this place exists and yet it houses what is...

Tongerlo Abbey and Leonardo's Last Supper — Westerlo, Belgium.

Location
Westerlo
Type
Art, Theaters and Museums
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About Tongerlo Abbey and Leonardo's Last Supper

Tongerlo Abbey and Leonardo's Last Supper - Westerlo | Secret World Trip Planner

In the Tongerlo Abbey of the Norbertijnen congregation there is a small museum built especially for the copy of Leonardo da Vinci's painting The Last Supper. The original dates from 1498 and the copy from 1506-07. Most people don't know this place exists and yet it houses what is probably the most faithful copy of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper ever. Life-size, this painting is an extraordinarily colorful copy of Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper. The difference is that this one was created by a group of the painter's followers under his supervision and is not on the wall. The origins of this copy? It probably dates back to the whim of King Louis XII of France, who knew the original fresco of "The Last Supper" after conquering Milan: the monarch, unable to take the frescoed wall home, decided he wanted a replica of the painting. It seems that the copy was made by Andrea Solario, one of Leonardo's best disciples, but there are also theories that want to see the hand of Leonardo himself... There are other copies of this masterpiece, one in London and one in Calabria. A visit is recommended.

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Frequently Asked Questions

You can see one of the most faithful copies of Leonardo's Last Supper at Tongerlo Abbey, home to the Norbertijnen congregation. The abbey houses a dedicated small museum built specifically to showcase this life-size, extraordinarily colorful painting, which is a hidden gem that most travelers don't know about.
The copy was created between 1506-07, likely by Andrea Solario, one of Leonardo's best disciples, though some theories suggest Leonardo himself may have had a hand in it. The original Leonardo painting dates from 1498, and this replica was commissioned by King Louis XII of France after he conquered Milan and saw the original fresco.
Unlike Leonardo's original fresco painted on a wall in Milan, the Tongerlo copy is a portable, life-size painting created on canvas by a group of Leonardo's followers under his supervision. The copy is notably more colorful than the deteriorated original and was made because King Louis XII wanted a replica he could actually possess and take with him.
King Louis XII of France commissioned the copy after conquering Milan and viewing Leonardo's original fresco, but since he couldn't remove the wall-mounted original, he decided to have a replica painted instead. This whim of the French monarch resulted in what is probably the most faithful copy of Leonardo's masterpiece ever created.
Yes, besides the Tongerlo Abbey copy, there are other reproductions of this masterpiece, including one in London and another in Calabria. However, the Tongerlo Abbey version is considered exceptionally faithful and worth visiting, making it a recommended stop for art enthusiasts interested in Leonardo's work.

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