The Mysteries of the Vatican: from Nineteenth-century Anti-clerical Propaganda to Dan Brown's Religious Thrillers

This essay analyses a set of novels that straddle the border between entertainment and politics, or even propaganda, with the aim to explore the connection between the urban setting, mystery, clues and conspiracy theories. The case study I have chosen to investigate is the capital city of the Vatican. Unlike other sovereign city-states – such as Monaco or Singapore – Vatican City is paradoxically a capital within another capital, since it is an enclave of Rome. Moreover, it has the unique status of a theocratic state whose ruler is the chief of a major world religion. If we also take into consideration its importance as a site of both religious and cultural pilgrimage, due to the art treasures it hosts, we can easily grasp the attraction that Vatican City has as a crime story setting.The sensational and the political are inextricably linked when we deal with crime and conspiracy stories that are set within the Vatican walls. The hierarchical structure and secretive attitude of the Church of Rome, taken in association with its extreme wealth and power, its stern moral stance and its global dissemination are in themselves highly sensational elements, which can also be utilized to instil readers with suspicion concerning the actual activities and goals of this timehonoured institution.