Fanum Voltumnae

Fanum Voltumnae (Latin for 'Sanctuary of Voltumna') was the chief religious center of the Etruscan civilization. The term fanum denotes a sacred space, not necessarily a single temple. Ancient sources describe it as the meeting place of the Etruscan League, a federation of twelve city-states known as lucumonies. These annual gatherings, which took place in a central location regarded as the spiritual omphalos (navel) of Etruria, served both religious and political purposes. The principal deity worshipped at the site was Voltumna (or Veltha), who may have been the state god of the Etruscans.