I had never heard of these people and their pagan secret society and their illegal underground Temple of the Humankind before, and I am totally shocked that not only have they received validation, but they seem to have gotten away with constructing what sounds like an ILLEGAL underground temple — the interior of which, of course, is quite pleasing to the senses.

Hidden away in a country renowned for its architectural beauty lies a massive hand-built place of worship many tourists never see. An entrance that looks like a mineshaft opens up to a maze carved inside the mountain holding the Damanhur Temples of Humankind in the Valchiusella Valley, about 30 miles north of Turin.

Damanhur narrates the history of human potential through art. With at least nine rooms - some with 25-foot high ceilings - it looks as if the secret doors and passageways were built centuries ago.

In truth, the unlikely temple is no ancient wonder and was built piecemeal by 150 people over a 15-year period beginning in 1978. The work was so secret, the Italian government never knew it was going on and never gave permission for it.

…At least as mysterious as the temple itself is the utopian society to which it belongs, The Federation of Damanhur. Damanhur, which means city of light, comprises 800 people who live in communal homes.

The spiritual group’s writings are in a coded language only they understand and its dances are full of symbolic movements.

Founded in 1975, the Federation of Damanhur thinks of itself as the builders of a new civilization that stands for peace and human potential. It prides itself on being an eco-society based on ethical and spiritual values.

…Falco, as the group’s founder is known, said that he always dreamed of the elaborate temples.

“I had the idea for the temples when I was 12, 13 years old,” he said. “It was important to build them in secret or else we would never have been able to build them. Italian law does not foresee this sort of underground building.”

The group wanted the temple to be “a gift to humanity” once it was completed, he said.

Visitors to the halls of the temple have expressed awe, delight and intrigue. …

So, not only was this temple illegally built… but it’s still standing, which means it probably isn’t going anywhere for a good while. Also, the United Nations gave the society an award “as a model for a new sustainable society.” That sounds like validation to me — from the ‘governing world body.’

Some quotes from the photo captions:

Work on the temples was started in secret, until Italian authorities discovered it. The ultimate aim is that Damanhur will become a meeting point for all the arts, science and politics. They hope the world’s most influential people can meet as human beings in a spirit of understanding, rather than opposition.

The Federation of Damanhur built and maintains the temples. Founded in 1975, the group is a close-knit and mysterious society with its own codes and language. In September 2005 the United Nations gave the group an award as a model for a new sustainable society.

(Read the rest… and check out the pictures and videos)

Related post: The New Spirituality: Dismantling and Reconstructuring Reality

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