A Puzzle in Milan

In the winter of 1497, Milan is a city on edge. The death of Duchess Beatrice d'Este and rumors of heresy swirl around the court and the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie. The Pope, Alexander VI, is alarmed by reports that Leonardo da Vinci's new mural, The Last Supper, omits traditional Christian symbols and may contain hidden messages. Into this tense atmosphere arrives Fray Agostino Leyre, a Dominican Inquisitor and expert in deciphering secret codes, tasked with uncovering the truth behind Leonardo's intentions and the strange events plaguing the city.

The Inquisitor's Mission

Leyre, under orders from the Master General of the Dominicans, is sent to Milan to investigate not only Leonardo's mural but also a series of cryptic letters from an anonymous informant known as the Soothsayer. These letters warn of a vast heretical conspiracy centered on the monastery and the painting. Leyre must navigate a web of political intrigue, religious paranoia, and artistic genius, all while maintaining his cover and seeking allies among the wary monks of Santa Maria.

Letters from the Soothsayer

The Soothsayer's letters, filled with apocalyptic warnings and detailed knowledge of court and monastic life, suggest that Milan is to become a new Athens—a center of pagan revival and secret knowledge. The letters hint that Leonardo's Last Supper is not merely a religious scene but a coded message, a "weapon" of art designed to undermine the Church. Leyre realizes that the Soothsayer is both an insider and a dangerous fanatic, and that the key to the mystery lies in deciphering his riddles.

Leonardo's Secret Language

Leyre's investigation brings him into contact with Leonardo and his circle of apprentices, as well as the monks and staff of the monastery. He learns that Leonardo delights in riddles, wordplay, and the use of symbols drawn from ancient philosophy, alchemy, and heretical texts. The mural's composition, the absence of halos, the missing chalice, and the ambiguous identities of the apostles all point to a deeper, subversive meaning. Leonardo's cryptic advice to "never remain on the surface" becomes Leyre's guiding principle.

The Heretic's Table

As Leyre studies The Last Supper, he notes its radical departures from tradition: the apostles are depicted as ordinary men, the Eucharist is absent, and the arrangement of figures suggests astrological and philosophical allusions. Rumors spread that Leonardo has painted himself among the apostles, and that the faces in the mural are those of real people—some of whom are suspected heretics. The painting becomes a battleground for competing visions of faith, art, and power.

Deaths and Deceptions

The tension in Milan escalates as key figures die under mysterious circumstances. The librarian, Father Alessandro, is found hanged, echoing the fate of Judas in the Gospels and in Leonardo's mural. Other deaths follow, each accompanied by cryptic symbols or tarot cards. Leyre suspects that the Soothsayer is orchestrating these events, using murder as a form of apocalyptic theater to force the Church's hand and expose the heretical undercurrents in Milan.

The Brotherhood of Signs

Leyre uncovers evidence of a hidden Cathar community—"pure men" who reject the authority of Rome and believe in a direct, spiritual connection to God. These heretics see Leonardo's mural as a coded gospel, a visual sacrament that bypasses the institutional Church. The monks of Santa Maria are divided: some are complicit, others are unwitting participants in a drama that threatens to tear the community apart. Leyre's own faith is tested as he delves deeper into the world of secret signs and forbidden knowledge.

The Librarian's Fate

The death of Father Alessandro, who had aided both Leonardo and the heretics, becomes a turning point. Leyre learns that Alessandro was the model for Judas in the mural, and that his suicide (or murder) was staged to mirror the biblical betrayal. The Soothsayer's riddles, combined with Alessandro's notes, point to a hidden message in the painting—one that can only be unlocked by understanding the interplay of names, numbers, and symbols.

The Code of Consolamentum

With the help of Leonardo's former apprentice Mario and the insights of the monks, Leyre cracks the code embedded in The Last Supper. The key is the Cathar sacrament of "consolamentum"—a spiritual baptism that requires no priest or ritual, only the laying on of hands and the direct transmission of divine grace. The mural, read from right to left (in Leonardo's mirror writing), spells out the word "CONSOLAMENTUM" through the attributes and arrangement of the apostles. The painting is thus revealed as a visual gospel for the Church of the Spirit, not the Church of Rome.

The Duel of Faiths

As the truth comes to light, the forces of the Inquisition and the secret Cathar community collide. The Soothsayer is unmasked as Brother Benedetto, a monk consumed by zeal and guilt, who has orchestrated the deaths to provoke a purge and force the Church to confront its own corruption. Leonardo, meanwhile, stands by his work, insisting that true faith is found not in dogma but in the direct experience of the divine. The duel is not only of swords and accusations, but of worldviews.

The Cathar Connection

Leyre is taken captive by the Cathars and witnesses their rituals and beliefs firsthand. He comes to understand their longing for a return to the original, unmediated Christianity of the apostles—a faith based on inner illumination rather than external authority. The Cathars see Leonardo's mural as a beacon for their persecuted community, a sign that the Church of John (the spiritual church) will one day replace the Church of Peter (the institutional church).

The Last Supper Unveiled

With the completion of The Last Supper, the mural is unveiled to the public and Ludovico Sforza (Il Moro). The city is dazzled by its beauty, but only a few understand its true meaning. Leyre, changed by his experiences, chooses not to denounce the Cathars or Leonardo, recognizing that the painting's message is one of spiritual freedom and inner truth. The Church, however, remains blind to the revelation in its midst.

The Church of John

The novel's final chapters explore the idea that the true legacy of Christ is not the hierarchical Church, but the "Church of John"—a mystical tradition of direct communion with God, preserved by heretics and visionaries. Leonardo's mural becomes a symbol of this hidden tradition, a visual scripture for those with "eyes to see." Leyre, now in exile, reflects on the meaning of his journey and the possibility of a faith beyond dogma.

The Final Revelation

In his old age, Leyre writes his account from a cave in Egypt, haunted by the knowledge that the Church will never accept the truth he has uncovered. He learns that the lost gospels of the early Christians have been discovered near his place of exile, confirming the existence of a spiritual tradition that predates and transcends the institutional Church. The secret of The Last Supper endures, hidden in plain sight for those willing to look beyond appearances.

The Aftermath in Exile

Leyre's final reflections are both melancholy and hopeful. He has lost his position, his faith in the Church, and his old identity, but he has gained a deeper understanding of the mystery at the heart of Christianity. The story ends with the suggestion that the true gospel is always hidden, waiting to be discovered by those with the courage to seek it.

Characters

Fray Agostino Leyre

Leyre is the novel's narrator and protagonist, a Dominican Inquisitor sent to Milan to investigate heresy and the secrets of Leonardo's Last Supper. Trained in cryptography and theology, he is both a man of faith and a skeptic, torn between loyalty to the Church and a growing fascination with the spiritual truths he uncovers. Leyre's journey is one of psychological and spiritual transformation: from a loyal servant of orthodoxy to a seeker of hidden wisdom. His relationships—with Leonardo, the monks, and the Cathar community—force him to confront the limits of authority, the ambiguity of truth, and the cost of genuine insight.

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo is portrayed as a genius whose art is inseparable from his philosophy and spiritual quest. He is both playful and enigmatic, using riddles, symbols, and codes to communicate truths that cannot be spoken openly. Leonardo's Last Supper is not just a painting but a manifesto for a new kind of Christianity—one based on direct experience, inner light, and the rejection of external authority. He is both admired and feared, a figure who challenges the boundaries between art, science, and faith.

The Soothsayer (Brother Benedetto)

The Soothsayer is the anonymous author of the apocalyptic letters that drive the plot. Eventually revealed as Brother Benedetto, he is a monk consumed by zeal, guilt, and a sense of betrayal. His actions—murder, manipulation, and coded warnings—are motivated by a desire to purify the Church and expose heresy, but also by personal anguish and a longing for certainty. Benedetto embodies the dangers of fanaticism and the tragic consequences of spiritual absolutism.

Father Alessandro Trivulzio

Alessandro is the monastery's librarian, a man of learning and subtlety who aids both Leonardo and the Cathar community. He becomes the model for Judas in the mural and is ultimately killed (or driven to suicide) as part of the Soothsayer's scheme. Alessandro's fate reflects the novel's themes of betrayal, ambiguity, and the cost of seeking truth in a world of suspicion.

Ludovico Sforza (Il Moro)

The Duke of Milan is both a patron of the arts and a political operator, seeking to use Leonardo's genius to enhance his own power and legacy. He is fascinated by pagan and esoteric ideas, and his court becomes a breeding ground for both artistic innovation and heretical thought. Ludovico's ambitions and anxieties mirror the larger tensions of Renaissance Italy.

Mario Forzetta

Mario is a young former apprentice of Leonardo who becomes a key informant for Leyre. He is also a member of the Cathar community, embodying the novel's theme of hidden identities and divided loyalties. Mario's journey from prisoner to liberator reflects the possibility of transformation and the power of secret knowledge.

Elena Crivelli

Elena is a young woman of noble birth who becomes both a model for Leonardo and a spiritual seeker. She is linked to the tradition of Mary Magdalene and represents the possibility of a feminine, mystical Christianity. Her initiation into the secrets of the mural and her ambiguous fate suggest the persistence of hidden traditions beneath the surface of history.

Bernardino Luini

Luini is one of Leonardo's apprentices, torn between loyalty to his master and the demands of the Church. He serves as a bridge between the world of art and the world of faith, and his own struggles mirror those of Leyre and the other characters.

Father Prior Vicenzo Bandello

The Prior of Santa Maria is responsible for maintaining order and orthodoxy in the monastery. He is both a guardian of tradition and a man forced to confront the limits of his own understanding. His interactions with Leyre, Leonardo, and the monks reveal the complexities of leadership in a time of crisis.

Annio de Viterbo

Annio is a Dominican scholar and advisor to the Pope, obsessed with controlling the narrative of Christian origins. He represents the institutional Church's efforts to suppress dissent and rewrite history, but is himself caught in the web of secrets and lies that define the era.

Plot Devices

Coded Messages and Cryptography

The novel's central plot device is the use of codes, riddles, and symbolic language—both in the Soothsayer's letters and in Leonardo's mural. The process of deciphering these messages drives the narrative and serves as a metaphor for the search for spiritual truth. The interplay of names, numbers, and images reflects the Renaissance fascination with hidden knowledge and the belief that reality is layered with secret meanings.

Art as Heresy and Revelation

Leonardo's Last Supper is not just a work of art but a coded scripture, a visual sacrament that challenges the authority of the Church. The painting's departures from tradition—its composition, symbolism, and the identities of the apostles—are clues to a deeper, heretical message. The mural becomes a battleground for competing interpretations, and its unveiling is both a public spectacle and a private apocalypse.

Dualism and the Cathar Heresy

The novel draws on the history of the Cathars, a medieval Christian sect that believed in a dualistic universe and rejected the materialism of the institutional Church. The Cathar sacrament of consolamentum, the idea of a hidden "Church of John," and the longing for direct communion with God are woven into the plot as both historical reality and spiritual metaphor. The conflict between the Church of Peter (authority, ritual, hierarchy) and the Church of John (spirit, freedom, inner light) is the novel's central tension.

Foreshadowing and Mirroring

The deaths of key characters—by hanging, by fire, by the sword—mirror the events depicted in The Last Supper and the Gospels. The fates of Alessandro (Judas), Benedetto (the Soothsayer), and others are both literal and symbolic, reinforcing the novel's themes of betrayal, sacrifice, and the cyclical nature of history.

The Unreliable Narrator and Exile

Leyre's narration, written in exile and colored by doubt, memory, and regret, underscores the novel's message that truth is elusive and always subject to interpretation. The story's structure—letters, confessions, and afterwords—invites the reader to question the reliability of any single account and to seek meaning in the gaps and silences.

Analysis

The Secret Supper is a richly layered historical thriller that uses the mystery of Leonardo's Last Supper to explore enduring questions about authority, heresy, and the search for truth. At its heart, the novel is a meditation on the limits of institutional religion and the possibility of a more direct, personal experience of the divine. Through its intricate plot, psychological depth, and symbolic complexity, the book challenges readers to look beyond appearances and to recognize that the greatest secrets are often hidden in plain sight. The lessons of the novel—about the dangers of fanaticism, the necessity of doubt, and the transformative power of art—are as relevant today as they were in the Renaissance. Ultimately, The Secret Supper invites us to become seekers ourselves, to question received wisdom, and to find our own path to illumination.

Last updated: May 3, 2025