Community of the Ark

The Community of the Ark is a small spiritual commune now located in La Borie Noble, France that was founded in the southwest of France in 1948 by Lanza del Vasto.^[1] Lanza del Vasto was a non-violence activist and disciple of Mahatma Gandhi.^[2] The community is all vegetarian.^[3]

Work with horses in an Ark Community

History

During the 1970s, many of the communards, under the leadership of del Vasto, took a leading role in the civil disobedience campaign resisting the proposed extension of the military base on the Larzac plateau.^[4] The campaign was ultimately triumphant.^{[citation needed]}

In the 1970s, the community spread to several locations, including Italy, Spain and Quebec. In the 1990s, some communities were closed due to conflicts and lack of new members.^{[citation needed]} In Southern France, the community is still active at La Borie Noble in the mountains of Occitanie, located between Beziers and Millau.^[5] The official site notes that the communities in France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Brazil are still active.