In Ceccano, Italy, The Da Vinci Code is Burning
Posted on May 24, 2006
There's nothing quite like the smell of books burning in the morning. Some Italians in the town of Ceccano were treated to the medieval practice of book burning. And what books were being burned, you might ask? Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, of course!
A copy of the book was reportedly burned by two members of the city council after the movie based on the book opened in local theaters. The townspeople literally threw rotten tomatoes at them for their absurd book burning behavior.
As the pages of the book slowly turned black, dozens of people railed against the two council members saying that their act was a return to the Inquisition times. Carabinieri struggled too keep the crowd under control as tempers flared, and shouts of "communist" and "fascist" echoed across the square. The event took place in a square nestled between the city hall and a small church.It's probably the most excitement that Ceccano has seen in years.While the crowd was yelling in the square, inside Ceccano's city hall, the mayor was presiding over a wedding. Following the wedding the Mayor declared that he was "ashamed" of the book burning and called it a "deplorable act."
You can find many resources for the historical events covered in Dan Brown's latest novel on our Da Vinci Code Links Page.