I read some really good books recently, great stories from Spanish
authors. I'll mention the last one
first. The
Secret Supper by Javier Sierra is a wonderful crypto
treat. I really enjoyed the story, and all the "secret"
messages and early steganography made it into something
special. Since Leonardo Da Vinci plays a big role in the book
many people associated the work with Dan Brown and The Da
Vinci Code - this book is nothing like it, it functions on a
completely different level.
In January of 1497, Fray Augustin Leyre, a Dominican
Inquisitor and an expert on the interpretation of secret messages is
sent to supervise Leonardo Da Vinci's last touches to The Last
Supper painting. He was sent by Alejandro VI who had
heard that Da Vinci was painting the twelve apostles without their
halo of sanctity, that the chalice was missing, and that Leonardo had
painted himself in the painting with his back to Jesus. This could
have sent him to the inquisition. Why then did he do this?
Was Leonardo Da Vinci a heretic?
I felt that some of the puzzles were a bit easily solved, but I still
enjoyed each one. Spending some time with Leonardo, and getting inside
the greatest mind that ever lived was also a great experience. I found
a good resource while reading the book, using
the Arounder you can see the
panoramic view of both the
church Santa
Maria delle Grazie
and The
Last Supper painting.