Ancient Fountain Designers

Ancient Fountain Designers Often working as architects, sculptors, artists, engineers and cultivated scholars all in one, from the 16th to the late 18th century, fountain designers were multi-faceted individuals, Leonardo da Vinci as a innovative intellect, inventor and scientific virtuoso exemplified this Renaissance master. He carefully documented his observations in his currently recognized notebooks, after his mind boggling curiosity in the forces of nature inspired him to investigate the characteristics and mobility of water. Innovative water displays full with symbolic significance and all-natural beauty converted private villa settings when early Italian fountain designers combined creativity with hydraulic and gardening skill. The humanist Pirro Ligorio offered the vision behind the wonders in Tivoli and was renowned for his virtuosity in archeology, architecture and garden design. Well versed in humanist subject areas as well as classic scientific texts, other water fountain makers were masterminding the fascinating water marbles, water functions and water antics for the various estates near Florence.

Acqua Vergine: The Solution to Rome's Water Troubles

Acqua Vergine: Solution Rome's Water Troubles 201047050723198683.jpg

Acqua Vergine: The Solution to Rome's Water Troubles Rome’s first elevated aqueduct, Aqua Anio Vetus, was built in 273 BC; prior to that, inhabitants residing at higher elevations had to rely on natural springs for their water. When aqueducts or springs weren’t easily accessible, people dwelling at raised elevations turned to water pulled from underground or rainwater, which was made possible by wells and cisterns. To supply water to Pincian Hill in the early sixteenth century, they implemented the brand-new approach of redirecting the current from the Acqua Vergine aqueduct’s underground network. Throughout the time of its original building and construction, pozzi (or manholes) were located at set intervals alongside the aqueduct’s channel. The manholes made it less demanding to thoroughly clean the channel, but it was also possible to use buckets to pull water from the aqueduct, as we viewed with Cardinal Marcello Crescenzi when he bought the property from 1543 to 1552, the year he died. He didn’t get an adequate amount water from the cistern that he had constructed on his property to gather rainwater. By using an orifice to the aqueduct that flowed under his property, he was in a position to satisfy his water demands.