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Da Vinci Code Tour
Decipher the Code :
What is the Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code is a mystery/detective novel by American author Dan Brown, published in 2003 by Doubleday.
This novel has provoked popular interest in speculation concerning the Holy Grail legend and the role of Mary Magdalene in the history of Christianity. According to the premise of the novel, the Vatican knows it is perpetuating a lie about Jesus' bloodline and the role of women in church, but continues to do so to keep itself in power.
Dan Brown's novel was a major success in 2004 and at times it was only outsold by the highly popular Harry Potter series.[1] It spawned a number of offspring books and drew glowing reviews from the New York Times, People Magazine and the Washington Post.[2] It also re-ignited interest in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. As well as re-invigorating interest in the Church, The Da Vinci Code, itself preceded by other Grail books such as The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail by Michael Baigent and others, and Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum, has inspired a number of novels very similar to it, including Raymond Khoury's The Last Templar, and The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry.
It is a worldwide bestseller which had printed 60.5 million copies by May 2006 and has been translated into 44 languages. It is thought to be the fourteenth best-selling book of all time. Combining the detective, thriller and conspiracy fiction genres, the book is the second book by Dan Brown to include the character Robert Langdon, the first being his 2000 novel Angels and Demons. In November 2004 Random House published a Special Illustrated Edition with 160 illustrations.
In 2006, a film adaptation, The Da Vinci Code, was released by Columbia Pictures.
Excert from Wikipedia
Virgin of the Rocks
An almost identical painting is in the Louvre, painted around 1483-1486, or earlier. Most authorities agree that the work is very largely by Leonardo, and is the earlier of the two works. [1] The fine brush work and use of chiaroscuro, or contrast between light and dark, are considered characteristic of many of Leonardo's works.
St Sulpice
Act III, scene ii of Massenet's Manon takes place in Saint-Sulpice, where Manon convinces des Grieux to run away with her once more. Abbe Herrera from Splendeurs et miseres des courtisanes by Honore de Balzac celebrated Mass in the church and lived nearby in the rue Cassette. The fashionable public side of Saint-Sulpice inspired Joris-Karl Huysmans perversely to set action there in his 1891 novel La-Bas, dealing with Satanism. Earlier, the ritual magician Eliphas Levi(born Alphonse Louis Constant) attended the seminary attached to the church, though this training had little to do with his later career. Saint-Sulpice is also one of the locations featured in Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code and the movie made from it; the background for Brown's use of this setting is explored below.
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Mona Lisa
The androgyny of the Mona Lisa reflects the sacred union of male and female which is implied in the holy union of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Such parity between the cosmic forces of masculine and feminine has long been a deep threat to the established power of the Church. The name Mona Lisa is actually an anagram for Amon L'Isa, referring to the father and mother gods of Ancient Egyptian religion (namely Amun and Isis).
Da Vinci Code Tours
Relive the exciting Paris chapters of the best-seller in our easy walking and or car which puts you on the inner track to every secret of The Da Vinci Code.
Scheduled Tour
Duration: 8 1/2hrs
Departure: Apr 1st to Oct 31st 9 am on Wed and Fri.
From Nov 1st to Mar 31st / 9 am on Fridays
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From 148€ pp
Scheduled Tour by Minivan
Live the story and visit Paris in the footsteps of the characters in Dan Brown’s famous novel adapted for the screen by Ron Howard.
Robert Langdon lived at the Ritz Hotel and walked through the Place Vendôme, the rue St Honoré and the rue de Richelieu before going to the Louvre. You will pass there at the beginning of the morning. With Sophie Neveu, he drove up the Champs- Elysees, round the Arc de Triomphe and stopped at the Gare Saint-Lazare : you will also discover these places before your guided visit of the Louvre Museum.
Our guide-chauffeur, a real expert on the Da Vinci Code will take you through the main rooms where the action takes place and show you at the same time the masterpieces that are mentioned : Mona Lisa, Virgin of the Rocks, Venus of Milo… An emotional moment : the discovery of the inversed pyramid. Evidence could still be there
You then follow on foot the "Rose Line" to discover one of Arago’s medallions (Peter Langdon mentions it in his epilogue). Lunch in a restaurant with a typically Parisian atmosphere (included). In the afternoon: free time to visit on your own the Church of St Sulpice and find out for yourself what the priest Silas was after.
Entrance tickets included.
Special free offer on this excursion: an original Da VinciCode gift!
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Private Tours
Our bilingual expert will point out every clue, every significant stone and every painting in a way which will make the book come alive in front of your eyes. From 230 euro for up to 4 people.
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Private Tour by Minivan or walking.
Half day Options
Inquiry Form With your private "symbologist, revisit Robert Langdon's Parisian adventures, search for the clues hidden in Leonardo da Vinci's masterpieces such as the "Mona Lisa" and the "Virgin of the Rocks".
They will tackle many of the questions provocatively asked in the book: the true nature of Mary Magdalene's relationship with Christ, the real story of Constantin the Great, Christianity in Rome, the donation of Constantine, St. Paul and the New Testament, the Golden Ratio, the Merovingian Bloodline, the hidden symbolism in Leonardo's paintings
From the Grande Galerie du Louvre where you will search for the Holy Graal in I.M. Pei's inverted pyramid, the Arc du Carrousel, the frescoes and astronomical gnomon in St. Sulpice Church, the Arago Plaques that mark the Paris "Rose line", your expert will point out every clue, significant stone, inscription, painting in a way which will make your book come alive before your very eyes.
Recent Review
I just got back from Paris, and wanted to drop you a wee note to let you know about our experience.
Having somehow managed to keep this from my wife and manoeuvre her to the rendezvous, we met up with Lula at the Ritz, in very wet and windy conditions. The look on my wife's face when we were approached by our guide was priceless; and following on from that point things only got better, as the charismatic Brazilian guided us through the sites.
Although my initial thoughts were that the tour appeared pricy, it was ultimately in my opinion quite reasonable in the grand scheme of Paris things; and taking into account our guide - priceless!
Thank you Larry, it was no surprise that my wife loved the tour; but maybe more of a surprise that I did too!
Regards, NG UK.
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Da Vinci Code by 2CV
Discover Da Vinci's mysteries aboard our 2CV cars! Follow the lead of the characters and visit the Ritz, Louvre,Champs-Elysees, Saint Sulpice Church, & Saint Lazare train station.
175€ pp