The physiological interweaving of the different moments of life from a social point of view. The transitions from one phase to another and the diversity of approach depending on the historical context in which one lives.
The theme of the defeat of disease, old age and death.
These are the themes addressed in the new exhibition project created by the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia , by the "San Camillo-Forlanini" Foundation in Rome, by the Museum of the History of Medicine and by the "Sapienza" University of Rome, thanks to a collaboration agreement stipulated between the four institutions.
The archaeological evidence informs us that the physiological passages were perceived by the people of ancient Italy as so important that they were placed under the protection of the gods and sanctioned by choral rites and ceremonies.
Here then we find the forms of popular religiosity of the Etruscans and neighboring populations, for which the fecundity of the soils and human fertility are the basis of the survival of the species. The story is thus entrusted to the gifts offered to the deities who presided over weddings and both female and male fertility.
Intertwining the Etruscan-Italic world and current events, the two extreme poles of the path of life - birth and death - merge into the ever-eternal theme of illness and old age.