Sussex - Dr. Francesco Ancona, a professor at Sussex County Community College in Newton, will present a talk titled, “The DaVinci Code: Fact or Fiction?” at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 22, at St. Monica’s Church in Sussex. The program, sponsored by the N.J. Council for the Humanities, is free and open to the public. Dan Brown, author of The DaVinci Code, insists, “All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.” In “The DaVinci Code: Fact or Fiction?” Ancona will explore the “truth” through an illustrated presentation covering the life and art of Leonardo DaVinci; the histories of the Priory of Sion, the Knights Templar, the Opus Dei; the diverse mythologies of the Grail quest; the literary techniques, traditions, and plot twists and errors; the author’s sources and resources; the complex symbolism, both contemporary and prehistoric; the “secret symbolism” hidden in the architecture of chapels, museums and cathedrals; and the goddess tradition. Ancona is a full professor at Sussex Community, where he is the ranking faculty member. He has written four books and numerous articles published in the U.S., United Kingdom and India. He has also co-authored a screenplay. He is an assistant editor of the Journal of Evolutionary Psychology and he has been designated a “Distinguished Scholar” by the N.J. Council for the Humanities and is a member of their speakers’ bureau. A senior “platinum” member of Americana Lectures, Ancona tours the state speaking on mythology, psychoanalysis and the arts, father absence, Shakespeare, the goddess tradition and dream interpretation. Ancona has been cited for teaching excellence by the N.J. Council of Community Colleges and is a National Teaching Award winner. His professional memberships include MENSA, the Institute of Evolutionary Psychology, and the International Association for the Study of Dreams. Ancona, a Vietnam-era veteran, is completing postgraduate studies in psychoanalysis leading to a second doctorate and certification.