Oberto Airaudi

Oberto Airaudi (29 May 1950 – 24 June 2013), also commonly known as "Falco Tarassaco", was an Italian new age alchemist, artist, philosopher, author, healer, and the spiritual guide and founder of Damanhur, federation of self-sustaining spiritual communities located primarily in Vidracco, Italy. Airaudi went by the name of Falco Tarassaco (the Italian translation of Hawk Dandelion), based on the Damanurian practice of adopting animal and plant names, which he inspired.

Biography Oberto Airaudi was born in the town of Balangero, near Turin, Italy.

In 1975, Airaudi and a group of about 25 other people founded the "Horus Center" in Turin, and later the Federation of Damanhur, a New Age commune and eco-village. Beginning in 1978, Airaudi directed construction of the underground facility the Temples of Humankind. Initially in secret, the Temples became public knowledge in 1992, when a former member sued to regain his possessions from the group. Prior to founding the community, he had worked as an insurance agent.

Airaudi died in the Damanhur community of Aval (Cuceglio) of colon cancer after it metastasized to his liver.