Its plot kicks off with the murder of curator Jacques
Sauniere in the museum's Grand Gallery and takes readers on a
breathless romp littered with references to religion, history
and the works of Italian Renaissance painter Leonardo da Vinci.
Visitors clutching dog-eared copies of the book have poured
into the Louvre and the church of Saint Sulpice on the trendy
Left Bank, home to the brass meridian marker and stone obelisk
that play a key role in the novel's search for the Holy Grail.
Tourist guides were quick to catch on. They now offer tours
exploring the book's locations and the theories surrounding
Leonardo's works of art such as the enigmatic Mona Lisa.
"By the time the 30th person asked me: 'Is this where the
curator was murdered?' or 'Is this true about Leonardo's Virgin
of the Rocks?', I figured, wow, this is really how people are
beginning to approach the Louvre, so why not take advantage of
that?" said Ellen McBreen, founder of tour firm Paris Muse.
The Harvard-educated art historian launched her "Cracking
The Da Vinci Code at the Louvre" tour in February and it now
accounts for half her business, with around 100 tours a month
catering mainly to North Americans.
DEBUNKING THE MYTHS
Interest in "The Da Vinci Code" shows no sign of waning.
There are 8 million copies in print, a film adaptation in the
works and a thriving side industry in books debunking its
controversial theories.
Like other academics, McBreen challenges some of the
notions put forward by Brown -- but don't expect a
sanctimonious lecture. The genial 34-year-old slips in humorous
asides and encourages participants to voice their opinions,
expert or not.
"We're extremely sensitive to preserving the pleasure of
the book," she said, contemplating a wall of Leonardo
masterpieces.
"Although our goal is to help people separate fact from
fiction, we realize that simply correcting Brown's ideas by
trotting out the traditional scholarship would be dull and
horribly pretentious," McBreen added.
"The tour is intended to be an interactive discovery, a
conversation."
American Laura Naramore, a strategist for a U.S. technology
company living in Paris, took the tour with her visiting mother
and aunt. She found it a great antidote to the torpid slog
experienced by many sightseers.
"It's the only experience I've had in a museum where you
come out on a high and filled with energy," she enthused.
Naramore discovered that the Mona Lisa does not hang in the
place described in the book and that Brown changed other
details for expediency, but she was not upset by the
inconsistencies.
"It's just like watching a behind-the-scenes 'how this
movie was made' documentary," she said. "We loved having those
things pointed out to us. It was part of the fun of the
discovery."
CHURCH OBJECTIONS
McBreen reckons the appeal of "The Da Vinci Code" is that
it follows one school of thought, unlike academics who juggle
opposing theories. The lack of ambiguity keeps the plot snappy.
"He's basically taken old chestnuts from the 'alternative'
school of Leonardo interpretation and made them more
accessible. The fact is, everybody wishes that there were a
secret code that could make the meaning of the picture
instantly recognizable."
Not everybody is thrilled with Brown's approach to
historical truth. Some Catholics have condemned the book as
blasphemous -- especially the part saying Jesus Christ married
Mary Magdalene -- and others say it is simply misleading.
At Saint Sulpice, Father Paul Roumanet has put up a sign
for the benefit of the estimated 10,000 fans of the book who
have streamed to the church since Easter in search of clues.
"Contrary to fanciful allegations in a recent best-selling
novel, this is not a vestige of a pagan temple," it reads.
It also specifies that the initials P and S that feature on
circular windows refer to Saint Peter and Saint Sulpice, and
not to an "imaginary" Priory of Sion, the secret society which
in the novel is charged with protecting the Holy Grail.
Roumanet considers "The Da Vinci Code" a clever crime
thriller, but is worried that readers are not critical enough.
"What he says in the book is fiction," said the priest. "I
realize that a lot of people really take it as established
truth, but that is not at all the case."
Roumanet believes the public's infatuation with the book is
a passing fad. He notes wryly that the increased flow of
visitors has so far brought no material gains for the church,
parts of which are in dire need of restoration.
"Some Paris tour guides are making people pay for their
visit. The other day I told one of them that if he gave me 10
percent of his profits, I would be making a fortune."
