Sorgenti curative nel nord-Adriatico, fra archeologia e mito. Il caso dell’Isola della Cura

The article offers an in-depth analysis of the role of thermal mineral springs in the northern Adriatic area in ancient times, starting with the larger contexts, corresponding to the Euganean hydrogeological basin under Aponus and that of Monfalcone under the aegis of Timavus, both famous for the presence of very hot waters exploited for therapeutic purposes over the millennia. Then, the focus is dedicated to the little-known case in the northern lagoon of Venice on the Isola della Cura. Here there is a cold mineral spring which, especially during periods of decline in the use of the two main thermal mineral basins on the mainland, may have constituted a natural resource useful for promoting new forms of settlement and pilgrimage, thanks also to the presence of military saints to whom the first churches south of Altino were dedicated in the early Middle Ages.