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The new exhibition Etruschi e Veneti. Acque, culti e santuari, housed in the halls of the Doge's Apartment in the Doge's Palace from 6 March to 29 September 2026, begins with the theme of the sacred in the Etruscan world to analyse the multiple forms and manifestations of worship linked to water.
Seas, rivers, lakes and springs became the preferred places of construction for the worship of water. The itinerary dedicated to the Etruscans begins with the sanctuaries of the Tyrrhenian ports of Vulci and Pyrgi, continuing with the sanctuaries of the healing waters of Chiusi, Chianciano and San Casciano dei Bagni and the small but monumental sanctuary of Marzabotto, built in the heart of the Etruria Padana at a spring. The section dedicated to the Etruscans ends with finds from Adria and Spina, the most important North Adriatic ports, where the presence of places of worship is not attested by monumental structures, but only by epigraphic and archaeological finds.
The exhibition itinerary then continues in the territory of the ancient Venetians. The theme of the sacred in the local area and its relationship with water is introduced by materials that take the visitor into the religious sphere of the Venetians: San Pietro in Montagnon, the present-day Montegrotto, closely connected to the healing power of the thermal waters; the Dolomite sanctuary of Lagole di Calalzo, linked to the presence of water springs considered therapeutic; the sanctuary of Este which, located along a branch of the Adige, was dedicated to Reitia, the goddess of the river.
The final stop on the route is the lagoon sanctuary of Altino, a port facing the Adriatic and Mediterranean routes that served as an international maritime outpost for the Veneti people, who created unique rituals thanks to the integration of foreigners.
To close, there is the previously unseen contemporary tapestry created by Giovanni Bonotto which, thanks to the universal and timeless theme of water, manages to establish a bridge between past and present.
For more details, please visit the official website.
Source IAT Venice
