Path of Illumination : Dan Brown’s Angels & Demons

Most of my time during my late teens was either spent in sleeping or in day dreaming about pursuing a career as a religious symbologist. All I wanted was to solve a conspiracy case just like Professor Robert Langdon in Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons. Once in Rome, the bug resurfaced. I decided to role-play my way into Professor Langdon’s character by deciding to walk the famous ‘Path of Illumination’.

The Illuminati

As per the movie Angels and Demons, the Illuminati – Latin for the enlightened ones – was a secret society consisting of scientists and great thinkers. They were branded heretics and were hunted by the Vatican. One such example is Galileo Galilei; he was put under house arrest for theorizing that the Earth revolved round the Sun while the church preached the exact opposite.

Path of Illumination

During such trying times, secrecy around the Illuminati meetings was paramount for the group’s survival. To ensure secrecy, the leaders of the Illuminati designed a treasure-hunt of sorts across Rome, the treasure being the lair of the Illuminati, or as they called it the Church of Illumination.

The markers or the clues that eventually lead to the Church of Illumination are located at the four Altars of Science, a tribute to the 4 elements of science: Earth, Air, Fire and Water.  It is interesting to note that all of them have been created by the great Italian sculptor, Gian Lorenzo Bernini.  The path connecting these Altars of Science and eventually leading to the lair is the famous ‘Path of Illumination’.

Earth

The first altar of science is dedicated to the element Earth. It is the Chigi Chapel, also known as Capella della Terra: Chapel of the Earth! The chapel is inside the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo.

As I entered the chapel, I walked towards the sculpture of The Habakkuk and the angel.  One cannot miss that both the Habakkuk and the angel are pointing in different directions. Since the paper which Robert Langdon steals from the Vatican secret archives states “Let the angels guide you on your lofty quest”, I followed the direction that the angel points in to reach the second altar.

Air

The St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican is the next altar of science dedicated to the element air.  It is one of Bernini’s most famous works. The second marker is a round slab on the ground with words ” West Ponente” which depicts an angel blowing air. The direction of the air takes us to our third altar.

Fire

Located inside the church of Santa Maria Della Vittoria, the Ecstasy of St. Teresa is a baroque masterpiece by Bernini. St. Teresa in her autobiography has described an incident wherein she states that an angel penetrates her body with a long spear and leaves her on Fire! The sphere in the hands of the angel points to the final altar.

Water

The final altar representing Water is at Piazza Navona called the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (The fountain of the four rivers) again designed by Bernini. The fountain has four river Gods representing the four rivers of four major continents; the Nile in Africa, the Ganges in Asia, the Danube in Europe and the Rio de la Plata in America. There is an obelisk at the fountain. The dove at the top of the obelisk points to the Castel Sant’ Angelo which is the Church of Illumination.

Church of Illumination

The Castel Sant’ Angelo was the secret meeting place of the Illuminati. What is interesting to note, is the audacity of the Illuminati to design their lair right next to the Vatican. Castel Sant’ Angelo is now a museum, but it used to be a fortress for the Pope. The Passetto di Borgo, the secret passage that links the Vatican to Castel Sant’ Angelo, was used by Pope as an escape route when in danger.

SINCERA TIP

• Walking the path of Illumination is a great way to explore Rome and its rich history.
• Nothing adds to feel more than having the soundtrack of Angels and Demons by Hans Zimmer pounding your ear drums as you role-play your way across Rome.
• Plan in such a way that post completion of the tour at Castel Sant’ Angelo, you can head straight to the Vatican Museums.

Pin it!

|

Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will make a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thank you 🙂