The refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie forms an integral part of this architectural complex, begun in Milan in 1463 and reworked at the end of the 15th century by Bramante. On the north wall is The Last Supper, the unrivalled masterpiece painted between 1495 and 1497 by Leonardo da Vinci, whose work was to herald a new era in the history of art.

Milan's most worthwhile picture gallery is housed on the upper story of the city's still-functioning art academy. Take time over rooms six to nine of this chronological collection, home to some real Renaissance gems, including Andrea Mantegna's Dead Christ (a dazzling exercise in foreshortening), Giovanni Bellini's moving Pietà, and Tintoretto's dynamic Miracle of Saint Mark. Other standout canvases in later rooms include Raphael's Marriage of the Virgin and Piero della Francesca's Pala Montefeltro, with its oddly stiff, posed portrait of 15th-century warlord Federico da Montefeltro in celestial company.

Built in the 1930s, this lofty pavilion on the edge of the Parco Sempione gardens has found new life as an exhibition venue and design center after years of decline. Originally built to house a triennial art show—hence the name—the renovated space now plays host to temporary exhibitions of contemporary art (Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, and Jean-Michel Basquiat were recent subjects) and architecture.
The ground-level café, with its mismatched designer-classic chairs, has become a popular meeting spot, and the adjacent shop is a good place to stock up on art books and gift items.

In November 2007, the Triennale opened what Milan so shockingly lacks: a museum dedicated to the city's strong 20th-century design tradition. In November 2006, the Triennale opened a sister gallery, Triennale Bovisa, in a former industrial suburb in the northwestern outskirts that is fast becoming a university and cultural hub (31 Via Lambruschini; 36-02-3657-7801).