Da Vinci Code ad removed from church

April 26, 2006

By John Thavis

Publicity for “The Da Vinci Code” movie has been turning up everywhere in Rome. But when a giant advertisement for the film covered the façade of a downtown church, it was just too much for diocesan officials.

The cloth billboard, featuring an image of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa with some printed code over her mouth, concealed the scaffolding being used to restore the church of San Pantaleo. The huge fabric ads are a common and lucrative practice for restoration projects in Rome, and proceeds from the advertising help defray cleaning costs.

The five-story “Da Vinci Code” ad appeared just as, across the Tiber River, a papal preacher was giving a Good Friday sermon criticizing the film and the best-selling book on which it is based.

It came down April 25 -- three days after the papal vicar of Rome, Cardinal Camillo Ruini, formally asked for its removal.

How could this happen in the first place?

Because of a complex Italian law, the Italian Interior Ministry owns the church building and is responsible for its restoration. Diocese of Rome officials said they were never consulted about the ad covering the scaffolding -- they found out only when local Catholics complained.