The Temples of Humankind

The Temples of Humankind are dubbed the “Eighth Wonder of the World” by the Italian Government and is nestled in the foothills of the Alps in Northern Italy. The Temples of Humankind were built by Oberto Airaudi in 1978. He believed that the vision to build the temples came to him when he was ten years old. He thought that he was capable of seeing a past life, so he incorporated those visions into his temples.  When became a  successful businessman, Airaudi, and a few friends moved into a home in the hillside and started to dig underneath the home. For sixteen years, Airaudi and other like-minded people began digging and building the temples without formal planning, just from the visions from Airaudi childhood.The temples are 100ft underground and is constructed in a three-dimensional shape with each design narrating the history of mankind.There are nine temples inside the Temples of Humankind and the temples are five levels each linked with hundreds of  decorated meter long tunnels . After completion of the temple, the Italian government started to become suspicious about the frequent activities at the home of Airaudi, that one day the police came into the building demanding to see the temples. With the reveal of the temples, the government seized the building and declared the temples property of the government. The temples are now only seen by a select view and has been the focus of group meditation.

In the seven temples, each temple has a unique theme and design that relates to the issue of mankind. In the Hall of Mirrors, the temple is dedicated to light, air, the sky, and the sun and celebrates humanity. In the temple, light shines from the Tiffany glass and the light that illuminates in the temple gives the impression that there is an open sky above. In the Hall of Mirrors, the temple is surrounded by colored glass mosaic that portrays the flower symbol of Damanhur, the dandelion fluffs. In the Hall of Water, it’s dedicated to females and is the shape of a chalice which symbols welcoming. The Hall of the Earth, thirty meters underground, and has two circular rooms that create an infinity sign and the  temple celebrates the planet and nature. This Halls of Metal has  eight glass windows which represent  eight faces and symbol the Damanhurian Sacred Language.The Hall of Spheres represents the heart of the temples and is meant to relax the mind and meditate one’s soul and stimulate growth. The labyrinth is meant for unity and harmony and to show the divine principle within ourselves.The Blue Temple is the oldest temple and dedicated to the birth of the Temples and was built solely by hammers.

I find the Temple of Humankind to be beautiful because of the uniqueness of the temples and how each temple has its own meaning. It is fascinating to me that each temple was built from the imagination of  Airaudi’s twelve-year-old self and that a group of people worked together to build the temples. I am impressed by how intricate the  designs on the each temple were and how each design reflects the themes of the temples. I like how the temples and its unique art is being used by a small community in Italy to promote the issues that plague mankind. In addition, the temple of humankind is beautiful because it incorporates all cultures and religion into its temples because culture and religion define mankind. Furthermore, for me, I find it intriguing how the inside of the temples are very artsy and beautiful while the exterior of the house is dull. I believe this adds to the beauty of the temples because it shows a transition to the beauty that humankind can be.