What Damanhur does

Damanhur is a federation of intentional spiritual communities founded in 1975 in Valchiusella, Piedmont, Italy, by Falco Tarassaco (Oberto Airaudi, 1950-2013). The primary operating entity is the Italian social enterprise DHORA S.r.l. Impresa Sociale (VAT IT09860720011) supported by related associations (Aps Vajne, Aps Talej net, Associazione Damanhur Alchemy School, Associazione Templi dell'Umanità, Selet srl). The federation is structured around four Italian communities (Damjl, Terre di Oropan, Etulte, Arca Tentyris) with a self-imposed cap of 200-220 individuals per community, and a global Popolo of citizens and supporters spanning 30+ countries including Italy, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Israel, Japan, the United States, Peru, South Africa, and Australia.

Damanhur's core assets are the Temples of Humankind — hand-carved underground temples built inside a mountain beginning in 1978 and revealed publicly in 1992, when the Italian Prosecutor placed them under legal custody while entrusting Damanhurians with ongoing maintenance — and the proprietary Selfica energy technology developed by Falco, spanning Selfica painting, jewelry (marketed via orocrea.com), and energy instruments. Commercial offerings include the Temples of Humankind (visitor visits managed through a Welcome Center), the Damanhur Academy online educational platform (damanhur.academy) with tools to expand vision and find mission, three residential immersion programs (Community Life Campus 10-day program, New Life 2.0 month-long program, and the 6-18 month Vajne Citizenship Program with 42 video lessons), the annual Damanhur Fest (a 3-day experiential festival August 28-30 at Damjl), and a multi-brand e-commerce operation selling Selfica products, books, apparel, art works, multimedia, and prints via thetemples.org/shop, damanhur.shop, and selfica.space. The DamanhurCrea facility in Vidracco is a 4,000+ sqm multifunctional center housing conference, retail, cafe, clinic, wellness services, and art laboratories.

Damanhur's revenue is generated through individual consumer transactions at multiple price points: Damanhur Fest tiered ticketing (€40/day FIRE, €150 WATER 3-day, €220 ETHER 3-day with tent), Community Life Campus (€700-€800 per 10-day program depending on language), New Life 2.0 (€1,800 shared room, €2,000 single room for month-long immersion), citizenship program fees, temple visit admissions, and product e-commerce. Go-to-market combines community-led growth (citizens recruit and on-ramp prospects through structured programs), event-led acquisition (Damanhur Fest as flagship funnel), direct-to-consumer experiences (temple visits and immersive residencies in Piedmont), and an international distribution network of Damanhur centers operating as local marketing and engagement nodes. Endorsements from Zach Bush MD, Patch Adams, Alex Grey, Ervin Laszlo, Jean Houston, Jim Garrison, and Luigi Berzano (University of Turin) position Damanhur as a documented anthropological, cultural, and economic laboratory within academic and thought-leadership discourse.

Name

Damanhur

Legal name

DHORA S.r.l. Impresa Sociale

Website

https://damanhur.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Damanhur is a federation of intentional spiritual communities founded in 1975 in Valchiusella, Italy, operating residential immersion programs, the Temples of Humankind, online education via Damanhur Academy, and e-commerce for proprietary Selfica energy products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Spiritual Community & Ecovillage Living

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Historical Sites (71212), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Historical Sites (712120)

akta.pro primary industry

Ayurveda & Traditional Medicine Retreats (THAGAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Yoga Instruction (Hatha/Vinyasa/Flow) (HSADACAA), Ayurveda & Traditional Healing (Ayurvedic Retreats, Panchakarma, Herbal Therapies) (THAJAHAE)

Keywords

• Spiritual community living
• Intentional community programs
• Sacred temple experiences
• Residential spiritual retreats
• Energy art products

Headquarters

HQ city

Vidracco (TO)

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices27 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Residential Programs: Revenue from New Life 2.0 (month-long immersive program at €1800-2000), Community Life Campus (10-day programs at €700-800), and various seasonal programs. Programs include accommodation, food, and activities.
2. Temple Visits: Revenue from visiting the Temples of Humankind, managed through the Welcome Center. Tickets available for Classic or Full Day visits with advance reservation required.
3. Damanhur Fest Tickets: Annual festival ticketing with three tiers: FIRE (€40/day), WATER (€150 for 3 days), ETHER (€220 for 3 days with tent site). Additional revenue from merchandise and food sales during the event.
4. E-commerce Shop: Online shop selling Selfica products, books, apparel, art works, multimedia, photos and prints. Available at thetemples.org/shop and damanhur.shop.
5. Citizenship Program: Program fees for the 42-lesson citizenship curriculum and practical training components. Duration 6-18 months depending on individual pace.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Damanhur is a federation of spiritual communities offering immersive residential programs, sacred temple experiences at the hand-carved Temples of Humankind, spiritual education through Damanhur Academy, and a citizenship pathway for prospective community members. The organization also generates revenue through Selfica energy technology products (art, jewelry, instruments), an annual Damanhur Fest, temple tourism bookings, and operates the multifunctional DamanhurCrea center.

Product overview

Damanhur is a spiritual community and Federation of communities offering experiential programs and sacred spaces rather than a unified software product. Its core offerings include the Temples of Humankind (hand-carved underground temples), Damanhur Academy (online spiritual education), and various residential programs including Community Life Campus (10 days), New Life 2.0 (1 month), and a Citizenship Program (6-18 months). The community also offers Selfica energy technology products including jewelry and art works, operates DamanhurCrea multifunctional center, and runs an annual Damanhur Fest. The Game of Life represents ongoing social experimentation and transformation within the community structure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Damanhur Academy: Educational platform offering tools and knowledge to expand vision, express potential, and find mission.
• Temples of Humankind
• Damanhur Fest
• Damanhur Crea
• Community Life Campus
• New Life 2.0
• Selfica
• Damanhur Popolo

Products and services

• Temples of Humankind Visits
• Damanhur Academy
• Damanhur Fest
• Community Life Campus
• New Life 2.0
• Citizenship Program
• Selfica Products
• Thetemples.org Shop

Quantifiable outcome

• The population of each single Community may not exceed 200/220 individuals, ensuring sustainable community scale
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Orovelj Community (Japan)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023First Damanhur community established outside of Italy, founded near Osaka, Japan in 2023. Represents the formal expansion of the Damanhur Federation model internationally, with recognition as an official Damanhur community.
• Global Ecovillage Network (GEN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDamanhur is part of the Global Ecovillage Network, a global network of intentional communities and ecovillages. This affiliation connects Damanhur with the broader ecovillage movement and provides opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and mutual support among communities focused on sustainable living and social regeneration.
• RIVE (Rete Italiana Villaggi Ecologici)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDamanhur is part of RIVE, the Italian Network of Ecovillages. This partnership connects Damanhur with Italian ecovillages and intentional communities, facilitating regional collaboration and exchange of sustainable community-building practices.
• International RoundtablecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal consultation structure for building strong relationships between Damanhur communities worldwide. Every Damanhur community globally is represented by 2 members. Currently facilitated by Henk Veenhuysen. Members work on strong relationships, clear communication, and flourishing communities through thought and action.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Focolare Movement: Focolare is a much larger Catholic spiritual community movement founded in Italy (1943) with global presence and a structured community model. Comparable to Damanhur as a long-lived Italian-originating spiritual community federation with international expansion and intentional community living.
• Science of Spirituality: Science of Spirituality is a global spiritual organization offering meditation programs, retreats, and community gatherings. Comparable to Damanhur's meditation-focused programming and global network of community centers for spiritual practice.

Direct peers

• Esalen Institute: Esalen is a renowned holistic education and retreat center in Big Sur, California, offering residential workshops, meditation, and spiritual practices. It is comparable to Damanhur's residential program offerings (Community Life Campus, New Life 2.0) and shared focus on transformative experiences in a nature-anchored setting.
• Auroville: Auroville is an internationally recognized intentional spiritual township in Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to human unity. Like Damanhur, it operates as a federation of communities around a spiritual vision, has a permanent resident population, runs residential programs, and offers a distinctive physical landmark (Matrimandir) as a destination.
• Omega Institute for Holistic Studies: Omega is a leading holistic education retreat center in Rhinebeck, New York, offering residential workshops on wellness, spirituality, and sustainability. Comparable to Damanhur's experiential programming and educational offerings.
• Findhorn Foundation: Findhorn is one of the world's most established intentional spiritual communities (founded 1962) in Scotland, operating residential programs, a spiritual education center, and an ecovillage federation. It is directly comparable to Damanhur as a long-running, multi-generational European spiritual community with similar residential, educational, and tourism offerings.
• Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health: Kripalu is a leading yoga, wellness, and retreat center in Massachusetts offering residential programs, spiritual education, and teacher training. Comparable to Damanhur's program-based revenue model and experiential education stack.
• Tamera Healing Biotope: Tamera is a Portuguese intentional community and research village focused on healing, peace culture, and sustainable living. Like Damanhur, it operates as a member-supported federation, runs residential programs, and is part of the Global Ecovillage Network.

Others

• Global Ecovillage Network (GEN): GEN is Damanhur's direct industry affiliation and a global umbrella network of ecovillages and intentional communities. It is comparable as the institutional framework that legitimizes Damanhur's positioning within the intentional community movement.

Emerging players

• Sadhana Forest: Sadhana Forest is a global volunteer-based intentional community (founded 2003) focused on reforestation and sustainable living, with active centers in India, Kenya, and Haiti. Comparable to Damanhur's multi-country community federation model and spiritual-environmental mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Damanhur
• YouTubeyoutube.com/damanhur
• Facebookfacebook.com/Damanhur.ms
• Instagraminstagram.com/damanhur_spiritual_community
• TikToktiktok.com/@damanhur_community
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/damanhur

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Damanhur