Seas, rivers, lakes and springs emerge as the preferred locations for the construction of sanctuaries dedicated to water cults. The section devoted to the Etruscans begins with the sanctuaries of the Tyrrhenian ports of Vulci and Pyrgi, continues with the sanctuaries of healing waters at Chiusi, Chianciano and San Casciano dei Bagni, and includes the small yet monumental sanctuary of Marzabotto, built in the heart of Etruria Padana in correspondence with a natural spring. The Etruscan section concludes with artefacts from Adria and Spina, the most important ports of the northern Adriatic, where the presence of places of worship is not attested by monumental structures but solely by epigraphic and archaeological evidence.
The exhibition itinerary then moves into the territory of the ancient Veneti. The theme of the sacred in the local context and its relationship with water is introduced through materials that guide visitors into the religious sphere of the Veneti: San Pietro in Montagnon, present-day Montegrotto, closely associated with the healing power of thermal waters; the Dolomite sanctuary of Lagole di Calalzo, linked to springs believed to possess therapeutic properties; and the sanctuary of Este, located along a branch of the Adige River and dedicated to Reitia, the river goddess.
