The Secret Supper

January 1497, Fray Agustín Leyre is given an important message that needs to be deciphered. To comply with his task, he takes refuge in Milan, at the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent, where Leonardo DaVinci is giving the last touches to his masterpiece, The Last Supper mural (Cenacolo). Soon, Fray Leyre discovers that the head of the convent, Fray Vicenzo Bandello, suspects that DaVinci may be heretic. There are many discrepancies in the Cenacolo painting from Church Teachings. DaVinci has not painted a halo over the disciples or over Jesus. There is no Holy Grail in the painting. Bandello and Leyre form an alliance to discover both the message that DaVinci is trying to portray in the Cenacolo, and also the text that Freyre was given to decipher. Three deaths soon occur and it is revealed that all of the dead had secretly posed for DaVinci as disciple models for the Cenacolo. Two factions are vying to decipher the Cenacolo's secrets and one of them is lethal. DaVinci was given a book, that revealed two different Churches. When Christ died, Mary Magdalene discovers a light and hides the body of the Savior so that the other disciples think he has resuscitated. She then is given a book from John, after his resurrection, which reveals a second Church that is to be born from Peter's Church, a Church where buildings are not necessary and you obtain salvation my direct contact with God. La Cena Secreta (The secret supper) is a daring tale that explores the actual sources that may have influenced DaVinci to create the most known Christian painting. When you finish reading his book, Javier Sierra (the author), assures us that from now on,The Last Supper will open our eyes to mystical possibilities every time we study it.

This book is fantastic, probably better than Dan Brown's Da Vinci code. I read it in Spanish and it is extremely entertainning. I am looking forward to read more of Javier Sierra' books. I love the plot, the mistery and the fiction. Great book. A must read if you liked the DaVinci Code.

Although not yet a household name in the United States, Javier Sierra is extremely well-known in other countries. This is due in part to three nonfiction books and four European bestsellers, of which THE SECRET SUPPER is the latest. Its publication is benefiting from some well-deserved word-of-mouth publicity and will no doubt receive additional scrutiny as the result of the controversy surrounding the release of the so-called "Judas Bible." THE SECRET SUPPER is characterized by its foundation, which consists of Sierra's careful, almost obsessive, research concerning the painting of The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. There have been many works of fiction over the past few years that have had as their basis --- in whole or in part --- the works of da Vinci. Unlike most of them, however, THE SECRET SUPPER takes place entirely in the past, specifically in the late 15th century, and features da Vinci as a central --- if enigmatic --- character of the piece. The narrative is set forth primarily from the viewpoint of Friar Agostino Leyre of the Order of St. Dominic and an instrument of the Spanish Inquisition. Leyre is dispatched to Milan after Church officials receive a number of enigmatic messages from a mysterious individual calling himself "The Soothsayer," who reports that the painting of The Last Supper being created by da Vinci contains symbols and clues that have special meaning to a group of heretics previously thought to have been exterminated. Leyre is confronted with several mysteries upon his arrival in Milan, including the identity of The Soothsayer and determining if da Vinci is actually purporting heresy or having a bit of fun at the expense of the Church --- or both. A series of murders in Milan that seem to center on the painting have Leyre perplexed as well. Motivations are always suspect and trust is a fragile thing, as he attempts to divine the secrets of the painting. Meanwhile, his own faith --- along with all that it represents --- is being called into question. THE SECRET SUPPER is written very much in the European style, with Sierra's unhurried narrative taking its time, soaking up historical ambience, atmosphere and mystery, and slowly spooning it out to the reading audience. While Sierra is aware and respectful of history's role, he does not get bogged down in it, and as a result his descriptions (both implicit and explicit) of his surroundings are first-rate. Additionally, Sierra provides a Cast of Characters at the end of the book, an invaluable aid to the reader in keeping track of who's who. With a novel as good as THE SECRET SUPPER, readers will be wanting second portions. Any chance of those other Sierra novels being published on these shores? --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

Readers will not want to dismiss this novel out of hand as "yet another da Vinci book," for The Secret Supper is truly an entity unto itself, a well-written, incredibly provocative thriller of dazzling proportions. The product of three years of extensive research, The Secret Supper purports to solve an intriguing, centuries-old mystery, a mystery most of us had no idea even existed. Can it be that Leonardo da Vinci hid a secret, heretical message inside his celebrated painting of The Last Supper, an open secret that only those with eyes to see could identify as an anti-Roman Catholic missive in no less a holy place than the Dominican Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie? I think most readers will be amazed to learn that they have never truly looked at this most familiar work of art. Certainly, as Sierra shows us, there are strange qualities if not outright anomalies in the painting. Why are there no halos above Christ and his disciples? Why do you see no representation of the Eucharistic bread or the Holy Grail? Why are two of the disciples looking the other way, seemingly ignoring Jesus' fateful revelation that He is to be betrayed by someone at that very table? And why, for goodness' sake, is Peter clutching a knife behind his back? Sierra soon leads us to additional oddities: the disciples bear the images of heretics, Judas Thaddeus is represented with Leonardo's own face, Simon's face is modeled on the Greek philosopher Plato, a knot on the tablecloth is indicative of Mary Magdalene. These are just a small sample of the issues Sierra raises about The Last Supper over the course of his incredible novel. And, just so you know, he does have answers awaiting you at the end of the novel, including the secret message and its significance as discovered by the author. You may or may not believe Sierra's conclusions about the painting and Leonardo himself, but, my goodness, it's more than worth your time and consideration. True or not, this certainly makes for one humdinger of a story, one that will completely captivate those with any interest in history, a good puzzle, and/or the history of Christianity (and, specifically, the Roman Catholic Church). Set in 1497, during the final weeks of Leonardo's work on The Last Supper, The Secret Supper mixes historical characters with those of the author's own creation to reveal the mystery of the painting. The narrator is the fictional Friar Agostino Leyre, a Dominican Inquisitor sent to Milan for two purposes: to identify the anonymous insider who has been writing letters to Rome claiming that Leonardo's The Last Supper contains a secret message that brands him a heretic, and to discover what that hidden message actually is. The anonymous source, who calls himself the Soothsayer, has provided a seven-line puzzle that will identify him, and this is basically all that Leyre has to go on initially. During his stay at Santa Maria delle Grazie, he comes into contact with a variety of men, both ins

If you liked the Da Vinci Code, go for this novel. One important warning, so far only a Spanish version is available, but it seems the English version is coming soon. Mr Sierra did three years of research with trips to Rome, Milan, and Florence before writing this novel; which is based on several "anomalies" you can find on Da Vinci's famous Last Supper, and surprisingly the Holy Inquisition didn't object or did they?. Buy a good reproduction of the painting to follow the clues through the reading. Can you guess which of the apostles is Leonardo Da Vinci himself? To my taste "La cena secreta" is based more on solid evidence and less speculation than the "The Vinci Code", but that does not make it less interesting. The story is presented through the eyes of a high ranking monk of the Holy Inquisition, which makes the evolution of the plot very unique. Highly recommended, and guys, practice some of your Spanish and don't wait until the English version is available.