The Official Center of the World

The Official Center of the World is the dot on the bronze plaque within the pyramid. The center of the world, or universe, can be anywhere. It was set by law, based upon a now popular book for children – who argues with a fairy tale? or states that Red Riding Hood wore a blue dress?

“COE the Good Dragon at the Center of the World,” now in its 6th edition, led to the 1985 law setting The Official Center of the World at the precise point inside the pyramid at Felicity, California. The French edition was described by famed critic Professor Claude Tannery as “The American Babar.”

The Sundial at Felicity

The gnomon of the 15 ft Sundial at Felicity is a three-dimensional bronze of Michelangelo’s Arm of God painted on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. The arm was sculpted and cast in bronze in New England. The rock is local but the installation required the assistance of a mining engineer and a special drill. The bronze Roman numerals give the time. A sundial is precisely accurate once a year and this was set at noon on Christmas Day. The arm points to the Church on the Hill at Felicity. The Hill of Prayer was built in January 2002 by moving 150,000 tons of earth  (engineered to earthquake zone 4 specifications). The church will remain the highest point in the town of Felicity now and in the future.

The 25 ft high section number 12 of the original stairway of the Eiffel Tower is the entrance sculpture at Felicity. In 1983, the government of France removed approximately 500 ft of the original stairway. Built with the technology of the 1860s, the weight of approximately 54,000 lb was causing sway at the top of the then 94-year-old tower. Twenty sections were sold at auction on the tower on 1 December 1983. Most are in museums and a few in private hands. Section 12 was bought at auction in June 1989 at the Chateau de Cheverny. The installation of the 6,600 lb section required engineering and a building permit. It serves no practical purpose, but is part of the spirit of Felicity.