‘When I decided to write The Da Vinci Code, I knew that its finale would have to take place at the most mysterious and magical chapel on earth — Rosslyn.’
Dan Brown
‘Rosslyn Chapel was all one could imagine or hope for.’
Tom Hanks
Rosslyn Chapel came to worldwide prominence through The Da Vinci Code, a novel written by Dan Brown, which was published in 2003. In the story, the main characters, Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu, investigate a murder in the Louvre and, in doing so, follow a set of clues to unravel a mystery, taking them to London and then to Rosslyn Chapel. It is estimated that 81 million copies of the book have been published, making it one of the most popular of all time.
In 2006, a film was made, based on the book. The aerial view of the Chapel in the film was based on a one-sixth scale model, specially created, because the Chapel itself was under scaffolding at the time. Most of the interior scenes of the Chapel were filmed here, and the main actors Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou, were on site for a few days. In the film, the characters enter the Chapel by the west door and replica walls were created and temporarily put in place to keep the scaffolding out of view (see image above).
After filming, Tom Hanks said: ‘Few locations in film are so delightful and few destinations live up to their billing, but Rosslyn Chapel was all one could imagine or hope for.’
The Da Vinci Code has had a profound impact on visitor numbers at the Chapel which grew to over 176,000 at their peak, allowing the Trust to complete its major conservation project.
Still to read it? You can buy a copy of The Da Vinci Code from our online shop!
To mark the 10th anniversary of the film’s release, two special outdoor screenings took place in September 2016
click here for details.
