The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Santiago Calatrava - Architect
17:49 Aug 25 2011
Times Read: 605

This is a short video of some of the buildings this architect has designed all over the world. He is truly amazing and his buildings are works of art.

Lucrezia Borgia
08:42 Aug 21 2011
Times Read: 615




LUCREZIA BORGIA



This picture is I believe from a frescoe and it shows her long, flowing, wavy blond hair. I find it humorous that they show her in some films with dark hair but that wasn't the case.



"It is said that Lucrezia Borgia was one of the meanest women from the middle ages. It is said that she wore a ring which contained poison and that she slept with her brother and father. No one can argue that she did not do bad deeds, but many of the stories are fabricated. She had some control during that period, but she was a very religious woman, and it is unlikely that she would have engaged in such activities, even if because of her religious beliefs. She died when she was 39 and because of this, many of the stories which are attributed to her never happened. The reason why we want to believe that she was a cold blooded murder is because of the period in which she lived, which was marked by many similar stories."



http://www.metrolic.com/the-biggest-misconceptions-we-consider-to-be-true-129217/



It is difficult to know how the story of Lucrezia being a poisoner started - it doesn't seem to have been contemporary. Even the estimable Ms. Bradford does not explain when the stories started, but they seem to have flourished in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (e.g. the opera by Donizetti)



There were contemporary rumours about Alexander and poison, especially towards the end of his papacy where a couple of cardinals may have been murdered (the part on which Burchard is blank). Guicciardini details the rumour that Cesare had taken poisoned wine to dinner in order to get rid of a rich cardinal and that he and the Pope drank it by mistake. However, that great historian does not state it as fact, he just says that it was 'believed' and 'widespread rumour'.



The same story was told and apparently believed by other writers, including that incurable gossip Peter Martyr (an Italian cleric and historian based in Spain) who was a prolific letter-writer. Both he and Guicciardini believed that Cesare had ordered the murder of his brother Juan.



Guicciardini does write about rumours that Lucrezia was involved in incestuous relationships with her father and both her brothers, but as rumour rather than fact:



'It was rumoured (if however it is possible to believe so great an enormity) that not only the two brothers but the father himself competed for the love of Madonna Lucrezia...and that not being able to tolerate even her husband as a rival, he dissolved this matrimony'' (History of italy).



This was obviously based on the stories spread by Lucrezia's discarded husband, Giovanni Sforza, who had good cause to hate the family. But even he didn't accuse Lucrezia of using poison on anyone!



http://theborgias.wetpaint.com/thread/4038854/Origins+of+the+Poison+Rumours#fbid=qAgfyzLKU6O



I am putting this up because I want to make an issue about why you don't read anything about Lucrezia poisoning anyone nor having a ring in my article. This idea seems to be nothing more than a rumor, a way to discredit her character. Just like many of the other nasty rumors about her. Most of the things that went on were by the males in the family and not Lucrezia. I doubt there was any incest unless she was forced. I think she probably had affairs when she was younger because that was the way in the courts all over Europe in those times but the rest is just myths that sprang up about her. They are similar to those about Erzebet Bathory; bathing in blood and drinking it. It was one particular writer that said that later after she had died. It was not in the trial records or stated by anyone at that time when the acts happened. She was exempt from trial because of the laws dealing with nobles. They kept her from leaving her rooms. Legends grew out of what had happened that were not true and have been spread by others who don't know the facts.



Here she is full length and in color. As for her eyes, in my article I put blue-green because some say that color and others say grey. I personally think from looking at her many portraits that they were probably hazel and that would be the reason people would state various colors. The eyes tend to look different depending on what someone is wearing. My Mother had hazel eyes and sometimes they looked a green brown and other times blue grey or even a greenish blue. It just depends on who is looking, lol.

FAMILIES IN CRIME
16:13 Aug 19 2011
Times Read: 642








The Medici’s were a very powerful family in Italy prior to the advent of another family who were mostly known for their infamy. By contrast this family was cultural opposites. The Medici family gained great wealth through banking and because of their influence were often thought of as the unofficial rulers of the Republic of Florence. This paved the way for them eventually being known as the sovereigns of Tuscany. They have been referred to as the "Godfathers of the Renaissance."



Many of the Medici’s gained great wealth from being in a position of power such as holding the office of gonfalero or as translated “bearer of high ceremonial office.” Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici took this position in 1421 after Savestro de’ Medici caused a revolt and became a dictator in Florence. He was subsequently banished. Coisimo de’ Medici was the one who really built the fortune for the family. For some sixty years he ruled over Florence with no actual title. Certain members of the Medici family were given the name of "Magnificent" which was in lieu of a title of nobility.





Medici Coat of Arms



Cosimo (the Elder), was the son of Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici, and was referred to as “Padre della Patria.” He was the richest banker in Florence. Cosimo was very altruistic and used his wealth for the benefit of the city. He built libraries and churches and supported the efforts of many artists and sculptors of the area. After his death he received the title “Pater Patriae,” meaning “Father of his country.”





Còsimo di Giovanni degli Mèdici (1389 – 1464)



Soon another family, the Albizzi vied for office in the ministry. Cosimo held the highest office there. They won and banished Coisimo for ten years. Later due to his supporters he was brought back and he in turn banished the Albizzi family. When Cosimo died, his son Piero took over for five years. When he died, various citizens of Florence asked his son Lorenzo to take over for his father. Lorenzo de’ Medici kept members of the Pazzi family out of office during the late 1400s because he was wary of their motives.





Cosimo's grandson, Lorenzo the Magnificent (1449 - 1492)



The Pazzi family was of a much older lineage as were the Albizzi family. They hatched a plot to overthrow the Medici. The Pazzi family who were rival bankers, the Archbishop of Piza, Sixtus IV who was the nephew of the Pope, were all involved. The Pope’s nephew approached the younger son of Jacopo de’ Pazzi. Their plot was to take away the power and fortune of the Medici family.



“The Medici brothers are to be struck down as they kneel before the altar during high mass in the cathedral in Florence. The signal for the assassination is to be the raising of the host.



In the event Giuliano is killed by one of the Pazzi clan, but Lorenzo escapes with a wound after fighting his way out of the cathedral. Florence remains loyal to the Medici. The conspirators are rounded up. By nightfall three of the Pazzi, together with the archbishop of Pisa in his ecclesiastical attire, are hanging from windows of Florence's government building, the Signoria.” (historyworld.net)





1479 drawing by Leonardo da Vinci of hanged Pazzi conspirator Bernardo di Bandino Baroncelli



What is interesting about the whole plot is that they attacked both of these men at High Mass in front of approximately 10,000 people. Guilliano was stabbed nineteen times by Bernardo Bandi and Francesco de' Pazzi. This was over the acquiring of territory and a believed increase in power and control. The citizens of Florence threw Jacopo de' Pazzi out a window and the crowd dragged his naked body through the streets eventually tossing him into the Arno River. Anything that remotely bore the name of Pazzi was removed from the city. Francisco Salviati and Bernardo di Bandino Baroncelli were hung. The mob went wild but the plot failed and most of the conspirators were executed in the streets of Florence. Some were literally hunted down and stripped of their wealth. A few were saved by the aid of Lorenzo because he felt they weren’t really aware of what was planned. One got away but he was found in Persia and the Ottoman Empire was aware of the power of the Medici family and summarily had him executed. The name of the Pazzi family was stricken from the city records and their homes were burned down and looted. The reputation of Lorenzo de’ Medici was known far and wide.





Pazzi Coat of Arms



“But this is not the end of the crisis. The pope excommunicates Lorenzo de' Medici and persuades the king of Naples, Ferdinand I, to mount an expedition against Florence. During 1479 war drags painfully on, with losses of territory and the expense of maintaining a mercenary army in the field.”

http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=aa24



“Perhaps by coincidence, the Italian noun for a hot-headed fool is pazzo - and some have suggested that the Italian-American slang, patsy, meaning a scapegoat or stooge, is derived from the unfortunate Pazzi assassins” (PBS.org)



As time passed, both Lorenzo and Ferdinand became tired of all the fighting. They formed a peace treaty which in the end was advantages to the both of them.



You can read more in detail about the Pazzi conspiracy at this link:

http://www.answers.com/topic/pazzi#ixzz1VOydpNi6





Catherine de' Medici (1519 - 1589)



One of the most famous of the Medici family was Catherine de’ Medici. “Born April 13, 1519, in Florence, Italy, she became the Queen consort of Henry II (1547 – 59), mother of Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III, and regent of France (1560 – 1574). Catherine married Henry in 1533 and bore him 10 children. She became queen when Henry inherited the crown in 1547, and she greatly mourned his accidental death in 1559. After their son Francis became king, she began a long struggle with members of the Guise family, extremists who sought to dominate the crown. After Francis's premature death in 1560, she became regent for Charles IX until 1563 and dominated the rest of his reign until 1574. She attempted to settle the Wars of Religion between Catholics and Huguenots. She has traditionally been blamed for the Massacre of Saint Bartholomew's Day, but, though she authorized the assassination of Gaspard II de Coligny and his principal followers, it appears that she did not authorize the massacre that followed.”



Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/catherine-de-medici#ixzz1VEfhWAof

or here:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03443a.htm



The Medici family made Florence the center of power in Europe. It was proclaimed the most beautiful city in all of Europe. Their acts during the Italian Renaissance facilitated a rebirth of learning.



“It became the cultural center of Europe and was known as an art center and cradle of New Humanism. They also spent some of their wealth on having the largest library in Europe; they brought in many Greek sources. They founded the Platonic Academy and supported artists by feeding them, educating them, and providing them with the necessities. Some of those artists were Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael. The family also did a lot of charitable acts such as cultivating literature and the arts.” (yesnet)





Catherine and Henry II of France and other family members



There was a lot of intrigue in Italy but nothing compared to this family, the Borgias. Their reputation was riddled with accusations of unlawful behaviors and they were shunned by most aristocratic families of the area even though their manners on the surface were considered impeccable. They were not friends of the Medici. Originally from Valencia, Spain, the Borja family migrated to Italy. Their name was then Italianized to Borgia. This family gained fame from their ties to the Mother church. Several from this family became Popes. They were well known in the 1400s and 1500s but unfortunately what is most remembered are the horrific acts that certain members of the family committed.





Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia) (1431 - 1503)



Rodrigo Borgia became Pope Alexander VI and had two children, Lucrezia and Cesare out of wedlock. One of the most appalling occurrences with this family had to do with Papal prisoners. The prisoners were brought into St. Peter’s Square. It was thought for the chance to ask for mercy in their cases. The Pope now seventy stood in a balcony over-looking the square with his daughter Lucrezia. His son Cesare, stood at an adjacent window along with one of their servants. They all stood there smiling dressed from head to toe in black. Shots rang out as Cesare started picking off each prisoner one by one, his servant supplying a new gun for each target. The Pope then congratulated his son on his shooting ability. Soon men pulled up with a cart to load up all the dead bodies and throw them into the Tiber. This ghastly occurrence is known to have happened because one of the Pope’s staff wrote about it in his personal diary.



“A strange and bewildering family, the Borgias. Eleven cardinals of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Three popes. A queen of England. A saint. A family with long tentacles, beginning in the Fourteenth Century in Spain, and reaching through the history of Fifteenth and Sixteenth Century Italy, Spain, and France. Greed, murder, incest. And --- strangely --- piety.” (crimelibrary.com)



Four members of this family are most remembered for their crimes, Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia) and his illegitimate children Lucrezia and Cesare. Unfortunately it was another Pope, Calixtus III or Alphonso Borgia whose appointment to the papal seat brought the family into Italy.





Cesare Borgia, duke of Valentinois and Romagna (1476 - 1507)



Most people if they have never heard of the rest of the family have heard of Lucrezia Borgia. She stands out in history as a cold-blooded murderer. The fact that she is a woman makes the crime more notable. Lucrezia Borgia was born on April 18, 1480, out of wedlock. Her mother was Vannozza de Cattanei who was also the mother of her two older brothers, Giovanni and Cesare. Shortly after Lucrezia’s birth Vannozza gave birth to another son, Goffredo. While Lucrezia was a baby she lived with her Mother but when she got older she was raised by Adriana daMila (Madonna Adrienne) who was a widow. No one really knows why Lucrezia was sent to live with this woman except that she was a close confident to her father who at that time was a Cardinal.





Lucrezia Borgia (1480 - 1519)



Lucrezia is described as being quite lovely, slender and fair with long, blond hair that waved down her back and blue-green eyes. Even in her later years she was known to bleach her hair to keep its golden color. Lucrezia was fluent in four languages, French, Greek, Spanish, and Italian. She also had knowledge of Latin as well. It was said she also was able to write poetry in all of the languages. Her academic accomplishments were astounding for the time period but it was often wondered if she was taught the nature of morality.



All of the Borgias were attractive and charming and had a charismatic affect on others. They had loyal subjects even if only out of fear. Like most murderers of the time they did murder for pleasure and political power but most of all for personal gain…wealth.



By the age of eleven, Lucrezia had actually been engaged to two suitors. At this time, her father became the Pope and he felt that none of the choices so far were suitable enough for the daughter of a Pope. Therefore, any engagements pending at the time were dissolved and they found someone they felt was far more suitable for Lucrezia.



Lucrezia was married by thirteen years of age to Giovanni Sforza, Lord of Pesaro. “The marriage was by proxy, and for four months after her marriage, until the arrival of her new husband in Rome, Lucrezia lived in a handsome palace next to the Vatican with the Pope's new mistress, Guilia Farnese. (Guilia's husband was conveniently away in the Pope's service.) The house was next to the Vatican palace, and Alexander could easily come and go, visiting his daughter and mistress unobserved. A formal wedding ceremony was held shortly after Sforza's arrival, with 500 ladies attending the bride, led by the Pope's mistress. A sumptuous wedding banquet was held, with a work by the ancient Roman playwright Plautus performed, a comedy about libertines, mistresses, and pimps. It was a scandalous event, but not much more opulent than many Renaissance celebrations.” (Trutv.com)



This marriage was seen to be lacking in what they most coveted, political power. Initially Pope Alexander had arranged for Sforsa to be executed. Lucrezia’s father made the mistake of telling her of his plot and she warned her husband who summarily left for Rome. There is a rumor that possibly it was not the case and was something contrived by both Cesare and Lucrezia to get rid of Giovanni Sforza.



Shortly afterward, Lucrezia’s father approached Giovanni’s uncle, Cardinal Ascanio Sforsa, to persuade his nephew to give Lucrezia a divorce. Lucrezia’s father then offered him his daughter’s entire dowry while the head of Giovanni’s family threatened to remove his protection if he did not concede. Giovanni refused the idea of a divorce. Not to be deterred, Pope Alexander accused Giovanni of being unable to consummate the marriage. Giovanni’s uncle suggested he perform in the presence of members of the family to disprove the rumor. Again he refused. Lucrezia’s father had the marriage annulled for non-consummation of the marriage. This infuriated Giovanni because he had to sign documents stating he was impotent. Giovanni suffered a great deal of humiliation over the incident and in his fury spread vicious rumors about Lucrezia.



One of the rumors that was spreading like wildfire was supposed sexual liaisons with her father and later her brothers Cesare and Giovanni, the Second Duke of Gandia. She was being accused of incest. True or false it wasn’t a rumor they wanted spread around.



During the time the annulment was being arranged, Lucrezia left to live in a nunnery, the convent of San Sisto located in Rome on the Appian Way. She was literally forced to go into the convent according to some sources while others stated she wanted to become a nun. “In a letter written that June by Donati Aretino to Cardinal Hippolyte D'Este, he says: ‘Madonna Lucrezia has left the palace insalutato hospite, "and has gone to stay at a convent called San Sisto, where she still is. It is rumoured by some that she desires to become a nun herself, but there are a number of other rumours as well, of a nature not possible to trust to a letter.’” (oldandsold.com)



Her family tried to get her to come home afterward, but she refused. Her father sent a chamberlain, Perotto to persuade Lucrezia to come home but instead of convincing her to return, he had an affair with her. It was believed that because of the aforementioned affair Lucrezia was supposedly six months pregnant. Alternately it is also believed that the child may have been the child of Cesare and Perotto stated he was the father because of his affection for Lucrezia because they were using the child for accusations as to her character. The accusation was initialized in March 1498, by the Ferrarese ambassador, who reported that Lucrezia had given birth. The accusation was denied, even though a child was born in that year before Lucrezia's marriage to Alfonso of Aragon. Even though the accusation was made, if true, they would have denied the fact since by this time he was a Cardinal of the church and incest with his sister would be heinous enough they would have even kept that a secret from their father, the Pope.



A baby was soon found within the family but no one would come forward and attest to the parentage. Papal decrees came out stating parentage in 1501. One said it was Alexander’s baby and the other that it was an illegitimate child of Cesare. It looked like a cover-up but no one really knows whose baby it actually was. The child is only known to some historians as the Roman Infante. (English version)



The College of Cardinals declared Lucrezia a virgin. This act was done to finalize the annulment she had requested so she could remarry. Her chambermaid had helped in setting up the affair it was stated. Shortly after the announcement of her virginity, a servant, Pedro Calderon and the chambermaid, Pantasilea, were found floating in the Tiber, which led people to believe that the rumors may have been true.



While at the convent another event occurred to upset Lucrezia. Her brother Giovanni (Juan) was killed. He was her favorite and it has been alluded to that he was killed by Cesare out of jealousy even though he was the eldest and had a lot of admirers of his own. They never actually found out how Giovanni died but after his death Cesare gained much more political clout. He was merely found floating in the Tiber as the servants although some say it was the messenger and the chaimbermaid that were killed.



A second marriage was arranged to Prince Alphonso of Aragon (V) in 1498. They were both seventeen years old at the time. It was thought to be an excellent match for Lucrezia. Alphonso was not only the Prince of Naples but the Duke of Bisceglie, which was a prestigious province of Naples. The two were actually very happy in this marriage and they developed a deep and loving relationship. She had a child in 1499 named Rodrigo who later died at the age of thirteen. This marriage in the long run was not seen as politically advantageous. Alphonso was assured that nothing was wrong but due to intrigue during the time he had misgivings. Some say it was during this time period (1498) that the illegitimate baby of Perotto was actually born and he was kept secret being whisked from one place to another and his name was Giovanni. He was kept hidden for around three years. When he reappeared Pope Alexander stated he was the son of Cesare and someone else. The actual nickname given to the child was infans Romanus meaning “the child of Rome.” They tried various manipulations so he would inherit various property and titles. There were two Papal bulls sent out as to parentage, one stating he was Alexander’s son with another woman and another stating he was Cesare’s son by another woman. It seems Perotto simply dropped out of the picture. He was seen from time to time with Lucrezia who stated he was her half-brother. Still the rumors circulated that incest was involved. Giovanni lived at the Vatican and at the French Court. He died, little remembered in 1548.



Shortly after Alphonso became wary, Cesare was accused of trying to have Alphoso killed. He was attacked by a group of men on the steps of St. Peters and due to his injuries became bedridden and later died at the young age of 18. It is said that Cesare plotted to be alone with him and strangled him to death. According to scholars Lucrezia was heartbroken by her husband’s death.



It appears that Lucrezia’s reputation was ruined due to the actions of other family members, “the charge of incest was among others laid against her. It has been repeated by Macchiavelli, Guicciardini, and the poets Sanozzo and Pontanus. Nevertheless, nobody now believes it. Neither Alexander nor Caesar's conduct makes it supposable. Secondly, all those who spread it had either personal animosity against the Borgias or repeated it solely from hearsay. The two poets, besides, were friends and subjects of the house of Aragon, and in Naples, after the murder of Alphonso, the word "Borgia" stood for abomination.” (oldandsold.com)





Alfonso d'Este (1476 – 1534) was Duke of Ferrara during the time of the

War of the League of Cambrai.



The next arrangement for marriage was to a son in the d’Estes family, Alphonso, prince and later Duke of Ferrara. They were one of the most powerful families in Italy and this arrangement was seen as very advantageous. The family resisted for a time due to Lucrezia’s bad reputation. Eventually they acquiesced and were delighted by Lucrezia’s beauty, intelligence and all around charm. This marriage seemed to change what was once a very dark and dangerous woman into a happy wife. She was regarded at this stage of her life as being close to a saint.



Lucrezia is credited with establishing one of the most flourishing courts in the Renaissance period. Her court was filled with poets, artists and musicians. Over this period she had a total transformation from the person she was prior or rather accused of being prior. Alphonso and Lucrezia had six children, two of which died before adulthood. She was one of the most beloved of women by her family and the general populace of her time and area.



Her father accidently drank poison from a cup meant for a rival and her brother lost much of his power. She maintained her good standing after her family lost power due to her many good deeds. She tried hard to clear the name of Borgia and make it reputable. Even though she had an affair with the poet, Pietro Bimbo during her marriage to Alphoso, her reputation was redeemed due to her pious and kindly demeanor. It remained so right up until her death at the age of thirty-nine due to complications from childbirth. Yet she has been written about as one of the most infamous females in history or even in the Borgia family, which some scholars are trying to clear up with more factual information.





SOURCES:



1. http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/history/borgias/1.html

2. http://www.pbs.org/empires/medici/medici/contenders.html

3. http://www.wisegeek.com/who-is-lucrezia-borgia.htm

4. http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/projects/renaissance/medici.html

5. http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/history/borgias/4.html

6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucrezia_Borgia

7. http://www.oldandsold.com/articles36/queens-4.shtml

8. http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=aa24

9 http://royalwomen.tripod.com/id30.html



By Sinistra © 2007 - Updated 2011

00:20 Aug 10 2011
Times Read: 667






Damanhur: A Celebration of Man



One of the most amazing places in the modern world is a community called Damanhur which was founded in 1975. It is a spiritual community as well as experimental, located in northern Italy in the Valchiusella Valley. The location is about 30 miles north of Turin. It is described as a Federation with communities within that have separate projects but live together in harmony. They believe the planet is a living thing and in so doing many of their projects deal with celebrating the Earth as well as man. "The people named their community, Damanhur, a word channeled by their spiritual leader, from ancient Atlantean, meaning 'City of Light'." http://shop.cosm.org/damanhurtemplesofhumankind-120pages.aspx



Another source states that Damanhur is named after the Egyptian city of Damanhur which was the site of a temple dedicated to Horus.http://www.greenjoyment.com/temples-of-damanhur-a-city-built-on-green-concepts-in-italyYou can read a little more about that here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damanhur



Their spiritual viewpoint is based on Celtic Christianity and paganism, Greek and Egyptian paganism and some influences from Gnosticism, Theosophy and what some call New Age ideas. It’s an ideology they have gathered together from various cultures to form their own very unique beliefs. According to their own website they state:



“The Philosophy of Damanhur is based on positive thinking, as an element capable of directing the best efforts of individuals, leading the way among themselves, their dreams and their human and spiritual growth.



The Damanhurians say that every human being has a divine origin and its task is to recover the memory and conscience of this primitive state. Humanity is part of a complex ecosystem that includes plants, animals, earth up to the various spiritual forces, and each part is a manifestation of the force called omni-pervasive in all philosophies, ‘God.’”http://www.damanhur.info/



It is forbidden to use drugs or tobacco in the community. They have their own currency and newspaper and have a University that is attended by many outside of the community. There is a Constitution and at least forty activities that provide income for the community. There are more than 1000 people living at Damanhur. The criterion to join this colony is based on whether one is self sufficient with an income of some sort. As a new member of the community, one changes their name choosing the first as a name of an animal and the second a plant. They have a schedule for births to coincide with various astronomical conditions as well as financial.



The site of the community was chosen because they believe that certain energy lines converged in this location. A combination of three energy lines in fact that run around the globe and come together connecting to the universe. For those that live there, it is a spiritual place of a living planet.



Most live communally in a house with approximately fifteen families including their children and some work jobs outside of Damanhur. There are also single people living in the community and some enter into trial marriages that can run from one to three years long, renewable at the end of whatever term they have chosen.



Damanhur is known to most as “The Federation” and they have offices all over the world. They refer to themselves as an “Eco-Society.”



Some are involved in the use of magic and alchemical activities as well as the study of circular shapes which is totally unique to Damanhur and referred to as Selfic Science. The following is from the home page of Selfica which explains the premise and is used here for educational purposes only:



What is the Selfica



“One of the most interesting research fields that Damanhur has developed is that of ‘Selfica,’ a discipline that creates structures to concentrate and direct vital and intelligent energies, that is energies able to interact with the environment and with human beings. There are traces of Selfica applications in the Egyptian, Etruscan, Celtic and Minoan cultures. Ancient myths have it that Selfica was widely used also in the fabled Atlantis.



Through Selfica, it is possible to create devices based on the spiral form and the use of metals, colors, special inks and minerals that act as conduits for "intelligent" energies, border forces that can act as intermediaries between different planes of existence.



Building a Selfic structure is like making a ‘body’ for the Selfic energy to use. The intelligence of the Self is the energy that manages the physical part of the structure.



Modern science has demonstrated that at the basis of matter, nothing material really exists, but rather interactions of energies that are constantly connected to one another based on resonance. On a quantum level, atoms are not composed of physical particles, but rather vortices of energy in relationship to each other. Everything that exists in the universe is interconnected, within the same energy field.



Every living being and object that exists in the universe emits and receives energy, entering into relation with the others and the environment. This interaction can be positive – constructive interference, or detrimental to life and development – destructive interference.



The interaction of a Self with individuals is always based upon reciprocal advantage. For this reason, Selfs can be considered specialized symbionts. The Self selects useful conditions for physical life or for the development of personal potential, connecting to the energy field through the ‘microlines’, the energy lines of the human body. The ‘intelligent’ energy of the Selfic structure selects, harmonizes and amplifies the most useful energetic frequencies to carry out the functions for which it was built.



In exchange, the Selfic intelligence can participate in a realm of space-time characterized by laws that are different from those of its origins.” http://www.sel-et.com/en/html/ArcMagazineDet.asp?IDArt=3



The founder of Damanhur goes by the name of “Falco and sometimes Falcon,” but his real name is Oberto Airaudi. Prior to creating a community at Damanhur he was apart of a group at the Horus Centre in Turin, Italy. It was at this time that this group discovered the special energy signature at Damanhur that was naturally occurring energy Synchronic Lines. These are not the same as what some refer to as “ley lines.” There are supposedly only two places on the planet where these lines exist. One is Damanhur, Italy and the other is Lhasa, Tibet.



He and others who first came to the valley, decided to build temples at this convergence, but not just any temples. These temples were for the celebration of mankind. Even though none of them had architectural backgrounds they sort of figured if others could do such things, especially in ancient times, why couldn’t they. Airaudi had actually been an insurance broker in Northern Italy prior to this project.



They began to create the structures in 1978 and basically finished around 1991, although it is considered an ongoing project. The work on the temples was entirely done by hand. It is said that the inspiration for the temples came to Airaudi from visions he had at the age of 10 from a pastlife recollection. Some believe that Airaudi has paranormal gifts akin to remote viewing. He was able to describe in detail the contents of buildings he had never been to in the past. He thought everyone had this talent at first. He also described a utopian society that lived for the good of all. He wanted to recreate what he had seen as a youth in Damanhur. Often various individuals have called these magnificent underground temples, the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” especially the Italian government who initially gave them that name. “Built inside a large vein of mylonite, a rare Earth mineral and a powerful conductor of the earth's energies, they sit at the apex of four of these energy lines that form a Synchronic Knot”http://www.laho-chi.com/damanhurframe.htm



Not only are the underground Temples of Humankind an amazing feat but it is also a magnificent work of art. There are murals everywhere and glass domes just to mention a few of the stunning works within these temples. Visitors come everyday just to view the temples let alone all the other amazing accomplishments of this community. According to Damanhur’s websites the temples are available for individuals to celebrate the birth of a new child and have baptisms/christenings, hold weddings and to have initiations or observances of spiritual groups.



At this time there are approximately nine rooms with ceilings around 20 to 25 feet high and some have secret doors worked by hydraulics. These include the Hall of Mirrors, Hall of Water, Hall of Earth, Hall of Spheres, the Labyrinth, the Blue Temple, which is the oldest of them all, and the Hall of Metals. According to Damanhur, “the Temples of Humankind are like a large book of knowledge dedicated to universal spirituality. The images and symbols within the Temples awaken the sense of the sacred that is the fundamental inheritance of every human being.” They go on to say as mentioned previously, “The Temples of Humankind have been built at a meeting point of the Synchronic Lines, the "rivers" of energy that link the Earth to the cosmos.” http://www.thetemples.org/en



You can take a virtual tour of the temples at this link:

http://www.thetemples.org/tour/ (It is best viewed in Firefox or Google Chrome)



These are the meanings given for each individual hall:



1. Hall of Water – dedicated to the feminine principle, it is in the shape of a chalice and invites receptivity.



2. Blue Hall – for meditation on social matters and is used as a place of inspiration and reflection.



3. Hall of Earth – dedicated to the masculine principle, to the earth as an element and planet and to past and future reincarnations.



4. Hall of Metals – represents the different ages and developmental stages of humankind and the shadow elements of the human psyche.



5. Labyrinth Hall – showing Interfaith worship through the centuries, uniting different cultures and peoples.



6. Hall of Spheres – positioned where 3 synchronic lines merge, inviting planetary contact and transmission of messages, ideas and dreams to create harmony between nations.



7. Hall of Mirrors – dedicated to the sky, air and light, solar energy, strength and life. There are 4 altars to earth, water, air and fire.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temples_of_Humankind



Up until the 90s the temples were a kept secret of Damanhur. Over the 16 years they worked on the temples they kept the secret well. “By 1991, several of the nine chambers were almost complete including several miles of passageways that not only gave access to each temple, but also helped the air to circulate throughout the entire complex six times an hour. The hundreds of volunteers had created a modern day miracle.”http://www.hazelcourteney.com/displayarticle.asp?a=2&c=2



It was in 1991 that the Italian government found out about the structures. They were alerted that it was a place harboring terrorists. They came there with helicopters and swarmed the place ordering residents out of their homes. They had threatened to blow up the hill to destroy everything because they didn’t have the permission of the government to create these architectural miracles. When the government finally viewed the temples they were astonished to the point of tears and made it possible to save the underground temples at Damanhur.



According to a visitor to Damanhur, author Erik Davis, "the temples are a remarkable otherworldly honeycomb of sacred murals, onyx mosaics, stained glass, sculpture, inlaid marble, hidden passageways, precious metals, mirrored stone, alchemical elixirs, and who knows, maybe even the cosmic energy circuits, intergalactic portals, and temporal wormholes that the people of Damanhur suggest are the ultimate functions of their sacred architecture."http://boingboing.net/2010/07/02/erik-davis-visits-da.html



Since this time the residents of Damanhur purchased property adjacent to where the temples are located and plan to build an amphi-theater, a library and an extremely large dome, etc. It will be a little less challenging since the site was once a quarry and already has two holes dug out as starting points. The community is always embroiled in ongoing projects. This is only one of them. Some of their other achievements and projects are explained in the videos I have included.



Sinistra 2011

21:53 Aug 03 2011
Times Read: 684


John William Polidori







 


John William Polidori (September 7, 1795) was the first born son of Gaetano Polidori, an Italian immigrant who moved to England due to political pressures. Gaetano Polidori was from the area of Tuscany and was a scholar who at one point prior to his fleeing Italy was the secretary to Vittorio Alfieri a poet and dramatist. It was in England that John’s father met and married Miss Pierce. They settled in London and he became a teacher of Italian.



John went to school at Ampleforth, Yorkshire which was a Roman Catholic school from 1804 to 1810. Subsequently he attended the University of Edinburgh. John was gifted and graduated with a medical degree by the age of 19 on August 1, 1815. This was an extremely young age and quite unheard of at the time. He was not yet of legal age. John Polidori wrote an interesting thesis on sleepwalking. Therefore even at this early age he was trying to explain the area of the unconscious.



John became the personal physician for Lord Byron in 1816. Lord Byron took him along on a tour of Europe and it was in his service to Byron that he came in contact with a few of Lord Byron’s friends who later became well known in their own right. This unfortunately hung as a cloud over John Polidori’s individual talent. At the Lake Geneva, Switzerland home of Lord Byron, John met Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, and her husband-to-be, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and their companion Claire Clairmont, Mary’s stepsister. During this visit the group decided to try their hand at writing a story on the paranormal. They were stuck at the villa due to a heavy thunder storm so the idea was devised as a game to while away the time. Lord Byron did not have much success and threw what little he wrote away. It is known that due to the young age of Polidori that he became an annoyance to Lord Byron. In 1816, Polidori left Geneva and went back to England to practice medicine in Norwich. John Polidori found he did not like the practice of medicine and decided to try his hand at writing. He wrote an essay in 1818 called, “An Essay on the Source of Positive Pleasure.” The next year he published a book of poetry, a novel called “Ernestus Berchtold” and his famous short story “Vampyre.”



The “Vampyre” was first published in the “New Monthly Magazine” in 1819, without Polidori’s permission which upset Polidori. It was attributed to Lord Byron but he did not write it. Polidori wrote the story and Lord Byron had absolutely nothing to do with it other than the publisher thought it would boost sales. Both Polidori and Lord Byron tried to clear up the discrepancy but even to this day some still state that Lord Byron wrote the “Vampyre,” or he used what little he wrote from the one evening together as the basis of the story. This of course is not the truth. Although earlier in the evening he read a story to the group but his “fragment” that was later displayed was not similar. The evening and story inspired Polidori and he had this to say, "I beg leave to state that your correspondent has been mistaken in attributing that tale in its present form to Lord Byron. The fact is that though the groundwork is certainly Lord Byron's, its development is mine."1



Some believe that it is Polidori who actually is the father of the gothic horror story. This was considered the first vampire story to be published that anyone could recall. He vehemently claimed that he was the actual author of the story which is known now due to his diaries that were published by his sister after his death. He tried writing under another name but with all the pressure and the claims that he tried to steal someone else’s work, it was too much for him.



He published his last work under the name of Richard Bridgens in 1821. The following August he incurred a large gambling debt he could not pay and killed himself by drinking prussic acid, dying at the young age of 25. The coroner though, stated his death was by natural causes, August 27, 1821. He was the Uncle posthumously of Maria Francesca Rossetti, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossetti and Christina Rossetti. These were the children of his sister, Frances Polidori who married exiled Italian scholar Gabriele Rossetti.



Christina Rossetti was also a writer who we will be addressing in another area of Midnight Magica, whose poem became the lyrics of a well known Christmas Carol.



http://ambrosiaseasons.webs.com/christinarosetti.htm





SOURCES:



http://www.angelfire.com/jazz/louxsie/polidori.html

http://www.bookrags.com/John_Polidori

http://www.ecampus.com/book/185754787X

http://www.english.upenn.edu/Projects/knarf/Polidori/polidori.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Polidori





Note: You can read Vampyre here:

http://www.freewebs.com/trepessa/vampyre.htm



The article is of my authorship and is in my ezine online.