October at the Fondazione Luigi Rovati
The exhibition Etruschi e Veneti. Acque, culti e santuari (Etruscans and Veneti: Waters, Cults and Sanctuaries) opens on 14 October. This major exhibition project has been developed 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—with a distinct yet complementary project—the journey that began at the Doge’s Palace in Venice.
Through direct comparison, the exhibition explores the foundational role of water in two major civilisations of pre-Roman Italy: the Etruscans and the Veneti. Seas, rivers, harbours, springs and thermal waters represented places of identity and contact with the divine for these peoples: spaces of worship and healing, as well as settings for community development and cultural and commercial exchange. The exhibition highlights both similarities and differences:shared features include the use of materials such as terracotta and bronze, along with votive practices involving deposits in water and offerings of miniature or deliberately decommissioned objects. Differences emerge in the monumental scale of the great sanctuaries and in the richness of the decorative schemes characteristic of the Etruscans.
The exhibition expands this dialogue through a further comparison: a small group of Nuragic bronze figurines and votive ceramics from the National Archaeological Museum of Cagliari bears witness to the importance of these practices in Nuragic Sardinian civilisation.
Throughout the exhibition, drawings by the artist Mauro Ceolin isolate and enlarge details from the objects on display, offering new interpretations and making the content more immediate and accessible.
On Tuesday 13 October at 6:00 p.m., Laura M. Michetti (Sapienza University of Rome and co-curator of the exhibition) and Jacopo Tabolli (University for Foreigners of Siena) will introduce the exhibition with the lecture The Reasons Behind an Exhibition. On this occasion, visitors can preview the exhibition free of charge from 5:00 p.m.
Events
Water and Well-being — Talk with Experts
From ancient water cults to modern thermal medicine, water has always played a part in human physical and spiritual well-being. Speakers include Giovanna Gambacurta (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and co-curator of the exhibition), Vittorio A. Sironi (University of Milano-Bicocca), Mariapia Vairetti (University of Pavia) and Silvano Mascadri (A-Life). Moderated by Lucio Rovati (Honorary President of Fondazione Luigi Rovati).
Saturday 7 November at 3:00 p.m.
The Excavations at San Casciano dei Bagni — Presentation
Taking the extraordinary finds displayed in the exhibition as a starting point, 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 enhancement projects.
Thursday 12 November at 6:00 p.m.
Etruscans and Veneti: Deities, Sacred Waters and Small Gifts to the Gods — Family Workshop
A journey into ancient spirituality through sacred artefacts: bronze sculptures of deities, terracotta votive offerings and objects associated with the cult of water, in continuous dialogue with the traditions of the ancient Veneti.
During the educational workshop, children will create a set of miniature votive vessels inspired by the ritual offerings placed in sanctuaries.
Sunday 25 October, Sunday 8 November and Saturday 12 December at 4:00 p.m.
For children aged 6 to 10
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In bookshops
Daisy Fancourt’s Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health is available in bookshops. The volume offers a wide-ranging synthesis of research conducted over recent decades into the relationship between artistic experiences, health and well-being.
The Italian edition, published under the Fondazione Luigi Rovati imprint, includes a foreword by Pier Luigi Sacco, Catterina Seia and Annalisa Cicerchia of the CCW–Cultural Welfare Center.
The book is being 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 experimental activities concerning the effects that engagement with cultural heritage and participation in the arts have on health and psychological and physical well-being. The agreement recognises the increasingly important role of art and culture in health, prevention and welfare.