The Da Vinci Code transforms Rosslyn Chapel, (so of Edinburgh Scotland)KQED Great Houses Series.

Following the 90 minute special, Sunday night being the only night, I allow myself to watch the television, was a special on Great Houses in England, and this time the visit was to Rosslyn Chapel  which had become derelict and was the subject of  "picturesque" paintings and sketches found by Lady Rosslyn while employed at Sotheby's, as she is an art historian.  English women have a charm that is distinctive, and this lady earns her title with her intelligence, lilting voice, and sincerity, when she chooses the word, "timeless" as her word to describe the importance of Rosslyn Chapel   The castle to which the chapel  belonged is long gone, with only a few stones remaining.  

The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown a book which I am sorry to say I never read, released in 2003, restored interest, and now 30,000 people a month visit, whereas a hand ful used to visit once a year.  It has created employment for the local population, and when the movie was made, a few million pounds were spent on restoration of the cathedral, which has elaborate designs, from the pagan, Christian, and possibly other belief systems.  It was sorted out that there was a team of masons who worked, creating their own figures with varying degrees of skill.  Ears of corn are found, which are only grown in the Americas, so it is thought that the great grandfather of one of the masons had gotten to America, 100 years before Christopher Columbus. There is a mysterious elephant, and an angel playing bagpipes, and a narrative of the lessons for leading a good life, and a nativity.  Another thought was that it was a "school" for masons, as they learned their carving craft, and there is such variety in the carvings   
Tourists come, who have read the book, searching for secrets and mysteries.  Lady Rosslyn says it is fine for everyone to have their ideas and perceptions about what the cathedral is; it is what it is in her viewpoint, one of the most beautiful, mysterious and densely figured interiors of a cathedral in Scotland, located  near Edinburgh. 

The Earl and Lady Rossyln (center) and family 

The interior with its elaborate carvings

 Historical Background:

Rosslyn, Lothian

Last Prince of Orkney
Located on the outskirts of the village of Roslin in Midlothian, a few miles south of Edinburgh, the chapel was founded in 1446 by Sir William St Clair. His name is derived from Saint-Clair-sur-Elle in Normandy. William de Sancto Claro, whose father had come over with William the Conqueror in 1066, came to Scotland with his wife.  They became established near Edinburgh and were granted the barony of Rosslyn. Sir William de St Clair's heir, Henry St Clair, Earl of Roslin, is reputed to have reached North America 100 years before Columbus, Henry supported Robert the Bruce and fought at the Battle of Bannockburn. The king granted him lands in the Pentlands, south of Edinburgh. Sir Henry died in Spain with Sir James Douglas as they took the heart of Robert the Bruce on a crusade.Henry de St Clair's son surrendered the Orkney earldom (and the title of Prince of Orkney) and was created Earl of Caithness in 1445 by King James II.

The chapel took 40 years to build and was originally planned to be part of an even larger building. Sir William drew the design of the chapel and the ornate carvings on timber boards which the masons then copied. It is the amazingly intricate carvings, both inside and out, which make Rosslyn so unique. They have been compared to delicate lace and icing on a cake. The magnificent barrel roof is made up of carved stones (patterns of daisies, stars and roses etc) Throughout the chapel, all the columns and tombs are intricately carved. One carving looks like North American corn and is said to confirm that Sir William crossed the Atlantic. 

The entrance to the 15th century Chapel originally built for the castle