THE DA VINCI CODE

Probably, I am one of the few thousand people in the world who have read the Dan Brown books in the right sequence.
I was in Arizona when I run short of reading material. I could choose between: a- the Bible of the Gideons you always find in the American hotel rooms, and b- the telephone directory of Phoenix.
I decided to drive a short ride to the nearest bookstore. There, on top of a pile of hardbound "The Da Vinci Code" a board announced: Of the same author "Angels and Demons".
I believe that I decided in favour of this book for three different reasons. First: probably because of a psychic connection to the Gideons Bible. Second: it was a paperback, easier to handle. Third: it costed only 7 $ versus the 22 $ of the hardcovered Da Vinci.
It took three or four days to read the book. It was original indeed and it described relatively well my native Rome, Italy.
As a matter of fact, Dan Brown acknowledged quite a number of friends for their assistance in detailing a number of aspects he dealt with in the book, be these related to the Vatican and its peculiar structures, to Rome architecture and topography, or to the organization of the nuclear research center of Geneva.
I reached the conclusion that Dan Brown has had at his disposal at least one of the so called 'vaticanists', a couple of retired cardinals, at least one topographer and one or more tourist guides.
I can easily imagine how the Vatican will react when the movie based on Angel and Demons will make its appearance on the screens of the five continents.
The Da Vinci Code, both as book and movie, has given a clear indication of how the fundamentalist catholicism reacts when old theories are brushed up by a smart guy and brought forward refurbished and updated. Why not discuss? Why start immediately a Ruinose campaign against the author, the film director, the actors?
You, the Vatican, should play in a different way:
let's start from the end.
the red line - was'nt the telephone line connecting the White House to the Cremlin in order to avoid that a mutual exchange of nuclear bombs could take place without warning? How does it happen to be now a kind of meridian line connecting the wild templar knights of Scotland with the civilized Louvre? Are you sure it does'nt cross a moulin rouge too?
And let's go to the apple. Are you sure that only sir Isaac Newton had the right to receive an apple on his head? Why? Was Eve not playing with a similar orb? And Parides with Helena? And Marlene,with Valvenosta? ...a day the doctor keeps away? And a computer to summarize everything?
But the best of the bests is the Pope. Great, the advisor! The famous poet Alexander Pope. I knew Fortune Pope, the founder of the most diffused Italian paper "Il progresso Italo-Americano". In the fifties the paper was read by two millions Italian speaking Americans. I know today a manager called Larry Pope, I do not exclude that local televisions may speak of some minor Popes spread around the country. Excellent advisor in this case.
But we arrive to Leonardo's Last Supper. Moving a personnage from left to right change completely the scene represented by Leonardo. Let's ask a very qualified art critic: Vittorio Sgarbi. "Professor Sgarbi, how do you see this change of position of the subject, from left to right? What? No, no we did not intend in the Parliament. This is too common and happens everyday. We know it. Let's restrict to the rose share. Do you find it probable? But do'nt you think we are going to mix up Rosy Bindi with Grillini? No? Is she too masculine? Yes. You may be right.
Is it true that the Vatican wants to draw the author to an international court room? Should the Vatican find him guilty will Dan Brown be burnt and incinerated as a witch?
But during the trial we all will be there to support you screaming:
Da' Vinci! da' vinci! da' vinci!