  A canonical branched covering over each sufficiently good simplicial complex
is constructed. Its structure depends on the combinatorial type of the complex.
In this way, each closed orientable 3-manifold arises as a branched covering
over the 3-sphere from some triangulation of S^3. This result is related to a
theorem of Hilden and Montesinos. The branched coverings introduced admit a
rich theory in which the group of projectivities plays a central role.
