The headquarters of the Order occupy 400 square metres, across two floors, in an old building of the Sampierdarena district in the heart of Genoa. Located here are the rooms set aside for ritual practices (the Temple, Hall of Lost Steps, Vestibule and Chamber of Reflection) and functional areas (a meeting hall, an events hall, office rooms, a bibliothecam, a drawing-room, a kitchen, a spacious pub, a wine cellar, and restrooms). The rooms are filled with symbolic imagery related to the spirit of primordial Europe, the knightly world and operative freemasonry, as well worthy cultures from the northern hemisphere, with a special emphasis on certain native American civilizations and the Shintoist aristocracy of Imperial Japan.

The O.I.C.L. boasts a fair amount of historical documents on freemasonry and an interesting collection of objects, vestments, aprons and jewellery belonging to international lodges, along with a significant collection of work tables. The Order has a large library (which includes valuable and rare books), a well-stocked video collection and a good number of audio recordings. All items have been carefully catalogued and are kept as cultural resources available to all members, who can draw upon them at any time as an aid to their progress.

O.I.C.L. members form a close-knit group of traditionally-minded people. The Order provides a haven for them capable – within the context of shared objectives and aspirations – of smoothing existing contrasts and creating a suitable venue for spiritual development. This heterogeneous group (in terms of age, professions and cultural backgrounds), engaged in study and research (with the aim of preserving and passing down the values of Tradition), and committed to inner development, contributes (albeit to varying degrees and to a limited extent) to the good of mankind.

The strength of the Order lies in its respect for individual differences, which are regarded as values. However, the Order does not seek to shut itself up in an “ivory tower” or to remove itself from the profane world, whose transformation it wishes to observe and experience (although this does not mean falling into the dangerous spirals of the modern world, sharing its constant changes, or – worse still – accepting the loss of fundamental values).