November at the Fondazione Luigi Rovati
At the Luigi Rovati Foundation: Etruscans and Veneti. Water, Cults and Sanctuaries
A major exhibition organised in collaboration with the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, under the patronage of the Italian Ministry of Culture and the National Institute for Etruscan and Italic Studies.
Curated by Giovanna Gambacurta, Laura M. Michetti, Giulio Paolucci, Chiara Squarcina and Margherita Tirelli, the exhibition concludes the project begun at the Doge’s Palace in Venice with a distinct yet complementary presentation.
Through a direct comparison, the exhibition explores the fundamental role of water in the two great civilisations of pre-Roman Italy: the Etruscans and the Veneti. Seas, rivers, harbours, springs and thermal waters were places where these peoples expressed their relationship with the divine: spaces for worship and healing, as well as settings for community life and cultural and commercial exchange.
The exhibition brings both similarities and differences to light. The two civilisations shared the use of materials such as terracotta and bronze, as well as votive practices including offerings deposited in water and the dedication of miniature objects or objects deliberately taken out of use. Their differences can be seen in the monumental scale of the great sanctuaries and the richness of Etruscan decorative programmes.
The exhibition broadens this comparison with a small group of Nuragic bronzes and votive pottery from the National Archaeological Museum of Cagliari, bearing witness to the importance of these practices in the Nuragic civilisation of Sardinia.
Drawings by artist Mauro Ceolin accompany the visit, isolating and highlighting details of the objects on display. They offer new ways of looking at the exhibits and make their stories more immediate and accessible.
Events
The excavations at San Casciano dei Bagni — Presentation
Drawing on the extraordinary finds on display, Agnese Carletti (Mayor of San Casciano dei Bagni) and Jacopo Tabolli (University for Foreigners of Siena) present the history of San Casciano dei Bagni, its archaeological discoveries and new plans for their interpretation and promotion.
Thursday 12 November, 6 pm
100 Covers of the Future
Competition awards ceremony and exhibition opening
Thursday 26 November 2026, 11 am
100 Covers of the Future is an editorial project that brings together students, readers and businesses to imagine the future of work and the economy by creating original covers for Economy magazine. Illustrations, photographs, collages and digital images explore social change and themes such as sustainability, technology, work, health and new lifestyles.
The awards ceremony for the three winners will be followed by a conversation on different visions of the future, moderated by Stefano Capolongo (Politecnico di Milano), with Mario Abis (sociologist), Giovanni Brugnoli(President of the Fondazione Imprese e Competenze per il Made in Italy), Giovanna Forlanelli (President of the Luigi Rovati Foundation), Camilla Gurgone (artist), Sergio Luciano (Editor of Economy), Salvatore Majorana (Director of Kilometro Rosso), Alessandro Ranellucci (CEO of Bobuild) and Rosario Rasizza (CEO of Openjobmetis SpA).
From 26 November to 4 December 2026, the Foundation’s Art Pavilion, a partner in the project, will host an exhibition featuring all 100 covers created for the project.
Free admission
The exhibition is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am–7 pm.
Etruscans and Veneti: Deities, Sacred Waters and Small Gifts to the Gods — Family workshop
A journey into ancient spirituality through objects connected with sacred practices: bronze sculptures of deities, terracotta votive offerings and objects associated with the worship of water, in dialogue with the traditions of the ancient Veneti.
During the workshop, children will make a set of miniature votive vessels inspired by the ritual offerings placed in sanctuaries.
Saturday 12 December, 4 pm
For children aged 6 to 10
BookCity at the Foundation: Ideas, Conversations, Books
For BookCity Milano 2026, the Luigi Rovati Foundation presents a programme of events on art, literature and history, with Edmund de Waal, Jan Brokken, Francesco Vezzoli, Laura Pepe and Dario Biagi.
Through books and conversations, the events explore a range of themes and perspectives: finding one’s creative voice, the memory of places, engaging with the classical heritage, the role of women in the ancient world, and the rediscovery of a leading figure in twentieth-century Italian art.
The programme also includes an event for children and their families, as part of the new BookCity Milano 0–6 project.
FULL PROGRAMME AND INFORMATION
Sunday 22 November 2026, 4 pm
How to Begin
Edmund de Waal — lecture
Introduced by Giovanna Forlanelli
Bollati Boringhieri
Wednesday 25 November 2026, 6 pm
The Traveller’s Melancholy
Jan Brokken in conversation with Daniele Cassandro
Iperborea
Friday 27 November 2026, 6 pm
Victoria Mater: The Idol and the Icon
Francesco Vezzoli in conversation with Donatien Grau
Allemandi
Saturday 28 November 2026, 11.30 am
An Unconventional History of the Women of Greece
Laura Pepe in conversation with Stefania Andreoli
Editori Laterza
Saturday 28 November 2026, 3 pm
A Beauty That Never Fades: The Life of Cagnaccio di San Pietro
Dario Biagi in conversation with Elena Pontiggia
Johan & Levi
Sunday 29 November, 11 am
BookCity Milano 0–6
Read-aloud session led by volunteers from the Milan Reading Pact
*The lecture will be delivered in a foreign language, with interpretation provided.
In the Bookshop
L’arte che cura (Art Heals), by Daisy Fancourt, is now available in bookshops. It offers a wide-ranging overview of research conducted over recent decades into the relationship between artistic experiences, health and wellbeing.
The Italian edition, published under the Luigi Rovati Foundation’s imprint, includes a foreword by Pier Luigi Sacco, Catterina Seia and Annalisa Cicerchia of the CCW-Cultural Welfare Center.
The book is published at a time of growing institutional interest in these issues. In April 2026, the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Italian Ministry of Health signed a memorandum of understanding to promote research and pilot projects on the effects of engaging with cultural heritage and participating in artistic activities on health and psychological wellbeing. The agreement recognises the increasingly important role of the arts and culture in health, prevention and welfare.