Federation of Damanhur
The Federation Of Damanhur, often called simply Damanhur, is a commune and spiritual community situated in the Piedmont region of northern Italy about 30 miles north of the city of Turin. It is located in the foothills of the Alps in the Valchiusella valley.
Damanhur is named after the Egyptian city of Damanhur which was the site of a temple dedicated to Horus.
It was founded in 1975 by Oberto Airaudi with around 24 followers and had grown to 800 by the year 2000. The group hold a mix of New Age and neopagan beliefs. They gained fame in 1992 through the disclosure of their secret excavation of an extensive underground temple, the Temple of Mankind. This artistic work was ordered to be destroyed by the Italian authorities because it had been constructed without planning approval, but this order was subsequently revoked. Its supporters claim the growth and activity of the community has revitalized the local area, which had experienced most of their younger generations moving to the cities.
References
- Merrifield, Jeff (1998). Damanhur: The Real Dream. London: Thorsons. ISBN 0-7225-3496-5.
- Benzi, Roberto (2006). Damanhur: Temples of Humankind. introduction by Sylvia Duffagni. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books. ISBN 1-55643-577-0.
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