Damanhur: Temples of Humankind

by Silvia Buffagni

Nearly three decades ago, Italian spiritual leader Oberto Airaudi had a vision of sacred temples built inside a mountain near Turin. As artists, artisans, and builders excavated the equivalent of a five-story subterranean building, it remained a secret from even its closest neighbors. Twenty years after the project began, the Italian government received word of the burgeoning community and became suspicious. Threatened by a full-scale military invasion, Damanhur revealed itself to local officials and the world.

This handsome coffee-table book offers a guided tour of the village, whose stunning murals, sculpture, mosaics, and stained glass draw from all sacred traditions to celebrate universal spirituality. Merging ancient mystic customs and contemporary consciousness, intensive labor and visionary artistry, the story of this remarkable underground community appeals not only to spiritual seekers, but to artists and idealists from all disciplines.

Genres: Architecture, Art

136 pages, Hardcover

First published June 20, 2006

Reviews

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an mind boggling book of color photographs of a breathtakingly intricate, elaborate and beautiful subterranean ecumenical spiritual community in Italy. I heard a chance reference to it in a conversation and decided to pursue... It is now on my lists of places I must see before I die. Unbelievable. A hidden underground Findhorn of architectural geniuses (among other things...)

[Fred Pierre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great photos. Great art. Great story.