From the sacredness of waters to make the sacred part of the heritage through a literary path

Abstract

The sacredness of water is part of a broader theme of multidisciplinary interest focused on the study of a particular aspect of the relationship between man and nature in which the individual and / or the community recognize and attribute a sacred value to the elements of nature by impressing on the territory a cultural message relating to their relationship with the divinity. In relation to this last aspect, water has generated cultural paths made explicit in artistic and narrative representations capable of enriching the territory with cultural values. The research path begins with a brief examination of the sacredness of nature and water, and then introduces some reflections on the advisability of using the literary tool to enhance the springs of the pre-Christian period mentioned in odes and poems. The considerable amount of literary “spaces” suggested presenting the Roman spring dedicated to the Nymph Egeria as a case study.