Why is it called Rosslyn Chapel?
Sarah Duran
Updated on March 05, 2026
Rosslyn Chapel. Rosslyn Chapel, properly named the Collegiate Church of St Matthew, was originally a Roman Catholic church founded in the village of Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland, in the mid-fifteenth century. Construction on the chapel began under William Sinclair in 1456, a noble family descended from Norman knights.
What is the story of Rosslyn Chapel?
Rosslyn Chapel was founded on a small hill above Roslin Glen as a Catholic collegiate church (with between four and six ordained canons and two boy choristers) in the mid-15th century. The chapel was founded by William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness of the Scoto-Norman Sinclair family.What is buried under Rosslyn Chapel?
Legend has it that underneath the chapel, buried behind a stone wall and set back from the detailed wall carvings, is a spartan stone crypt. Buried even deeper is said to be the treasure of the Knights Templar. There is no solid evidence that suggests the Holy Grail is or ever was present at Rosslyn Chapel.Why is the Rosslyn Chapel so famous?
The 15th-century chapel in Midlothian became world famous after featuring at the centre of a conspiracy theory in Dan Brown's book The Da Vinci Code. The book, published in 2003, sold more than 80 million copies and inspired a Hollywood film starring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou.What is hidden in Rosslyn Chapel?
Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code explored one of the strangest mysteries of Rosslyn Chapel. The conspiracy that connects it to the notorious Knights Templar. It depends how deep you go, but this theory can entangle the crucifixion cross, the blood of Jesus, the head of Jesus, the holy grail, and the knights themselves.Rosslyn Chapel - Secrets of the Templars
Is the Holy Grail in Scotland?
Even more amazing is the fact that the Holy Grail, the cup that Jesus used, may be hidden in Scotland. The Covenanters conducted a raid on Rosslyn Chapel, the place where the Grail was hidden, during the Glorious Revolution of 1688.Was Rosslyn Chapel in The Da Vinci Code?
Selected as one of the locations for the recent film, “The Da Vinci Code” (based on the bestselling book by Dan Brown), Rosslyn Chapel (near Edinburgh, Scotland) has all the presence and mystery that perhaps encouraged its choice for the role. Officially the Chapel is known as the Collegiate Church of St.How much of The Da Vinci Code is true?
Martin Savidge: When we talk about da Vinci and your book, how much is true and how much is fabricated in your storyline? Dan Brown: 99 percent of it is true. All of the architecture, the art, the secret rituals, the history, all of that is true, the Gnostic gospels.What is The Da Vinci Code in real life?
The existence of The Priory of Sion was indeed real, as it was a fraternal organization founded by Pierre Plantard in 1956. However, the nature of the group differs wildly from Brown's portrayal, who claims that the Priory boasted members like Leonardo Da Vinci and Victor Hugo.Were there Knights Templar in Scotland?
The Knights Templar presence in Scotland began in 1129 after King Henry I of England arranged and introduction of the Templar founder Hugh de Payens to King David I of Scotland.How was Rosslyn Chapel built?
The Wooden Gorge of Roslin GlenRosslyn Chapel was constructed almost entirely in stone, with no structural timber except within the much later Victorian baptistery added to the west end of the chapel.