MILAN, Italy — Now that the Catholic Church is again the talk of the town with the recent death of Pope Francis and the upcoming papal conclave that will start on May 7, interest is again up for movies trying to unveil mysteries in the Church.
Among the films that stirred controversy and might be enjoying an airplay nowadays is the 2006 mystery thriller film “The Da Vinci Code” directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen and Paul Bettany, among others.
The movie based on the controversial novel by Dan Brown claimed that there were symbols and other hidden meanings about Jesus Christ, the apostles and the Holy Grail encoded in Leonardo da Vinci’s world-famous painting, “The Last Supper.”
Philstar.com visited “The Last Supper” last year and discovered that “The Last Supper” indeed contains many signs — but not to the Catholic Church’s secrets, but to Da Vinci’s creativity and genius, and the Italian government’s scientific efforts to preserve the centuries-old mural.
Facade of Santa Maria delle Grazie ("Holy Mary of Grace"), a Dominican convent and church in Milan and a Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site. The convent's refectory contains the mural of "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci.
Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo
Holy Mary of Grace church interior
Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo
Holy Mary of Grace church interior (left) and facade
Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo
Da Vinci's restored "The Last Supper" painting, which can only be viewed via a reserved booking through authorized travel agents. A small group of people is given a slot every 30 minutes to view the painting in a very enclosed, secured and well-guarded room, where temperatures and air passage are controlled and air is filtered often - making it probably the room with the cleanest air on Earth, said a tour guide - to preserve the painting that has been restored several times since Da Vinci painted it between 1495 to 1498, under commission as part of the church's renovations by Da Vinci's patron, Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan.
Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo
On the wall opposite 'The Last Supper' is the Crucifixion fresco by Giovanni Donato da Montorfano. Da Vinci also contributed to this fresco by adding figures of the Sforza family in tempera.
Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo
Da Vinci's 'artist signature' in the form of a knot in 'The Last Supper' painting (left); photo of one of the painting's 20th century restorers (right)
Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo
Details about how the painting was restored in the 20th century
Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo
RELATED: In photos: Stations of the Cross at the Center for Kapampangan Studies
