With the imminent launch of the new Da Vinci Code film starring Tom Hanks, there is special interest in many of the real locations referred to in the novel, including France where the story starts in the Louvre in Paris, and of course Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and other works are on display there. Elsewhere in Paris you’ll find the 17th Century St Sulpice Church where the “Rose Line” copper strip is laid in the floor. Just outside Paris is the Chateau de Villette which is the home to one of the primary antagonists in the story.
On a related theme, the Chateau de Clos Lucé near Amboise (37 Indre et Loire, Loire Valley) is where da Vinci spent the last years of his life, and which has a museum and exhibits (plus some intrigue) about Leonardo.
For more info see the website www.visitdavincicode.com
For myself, I found it a real good read, with a great blend of plausible conspiracy theory, well-written and well-paced. There is an added frisson that the physical settings for many scenes exist, but I suspect we shall never know which elements of the story may have some bearing on fact rather than fiction. And, if it adds another dimension or perspective on a visit to Paris then so much the better.
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