Italian cryptographer and engineer Ciancarlo Gianazza has actively searched for ancient manuscripts from the early days of Christianity in Iceland in the past years, which he believes may lead him to the Holy Grail.
Kerlingarfjöll. Photo by Geir Ólafsson.
Gianazza has scrutinized the Divine Comedy by Dante and paintings by Botticelli, Rafael and Leonardo da Vinci and believes to have cracked a code. He maintains that Dante came to Iceland where he hid valuable manuscripts, Morgunblaðið reports.
“We have narrowed the search area but haven’t found anything so far,” said adventurer Geir Magnússon who has participated in Gianazza’s expeditions. They are now focusing on the mountain range Kerlingarfjöll in the central highlands, by the river Jökulfall.
The biggest expedition so far was in 2008 when archaeologist Bjarni Einarsson, antiquarian Uggi Ævarsson and architect Þórarinn Þórarinsson joined in, among other expeditioners, naturally including Gianazza himself.
“The famous adventurer Árni Kópsson was also on the expedition, who is always in charge when masculinity is needed. He brought two large Russian military trucks with an air compressor and a machine for drilling for water,” Geir recollected.
“We drilled seven 20-meter holes deep into the rock but didn’t find anything. Gianazza returned home in the winter to recalculate and figured out that we were supposed to be in the canyon but not on the edge of it. We have been there since,” Geir continued.
“The new calculations are based on comparison between the poem and paintings, and the new coordinates refer to, among other items, the throne of Beatrice which Dante wrote about. In the cliff there is a rock that stands out so we are in no doubt that it is the throne itself,” Geir stated.
Geir is in his seventies but fit for his age and eager to continue with the mission. The expeditions have proven expensive to Gianazza but he is not about to give up either. “It’s not a question of whether but when we find the treasure,” Geir concluded.
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