Water Transport Solutions in Early Rome
Water Transport Solutions in Early Rome Aqua Anio Vetus, the first raised aqueduct built in Rome, commenced providing the people living in the hills with water in 273 BC, though they had relied on natural springs up till then. When aqueducts or springs weren’t accessible, people dwelling at higher elevations turned to water removed from underground or rainwater, which was made possible by wells and cisterns. In the very early sixteenth century, the city began to make use of the water that ran underground through Acqua Vergine to furnish water to Pincian Hill. The aqueduct’s channel was made reachable by pozzi, or manholes, that were positioned along its length when it was 1st designed. Although they were primarily manufactured to make it possible to support the aqueduct, Cardinal Marcello Crescenzi began using the manholes to get water from the channel, commencing when he purchased the property in 1543. The cistern he had built to gather rainwater wasn’t adequate to meet his water requirements.
That is when he decided to create an access point to the aqueduct that ran directly below his residential property.
Modern Garden Decoration: Fountains and their Beginnings
Modern Garden Decoration: Fountains and their Beginnings A fountain, an incredible piece of engineering, not only supplies drinking water as it pours into a basin, it can also launch water high into the air for an extraordinary effect.
From the onset, outdoor fountains were soley there to serve as functional elements. Cities, towns and villages made use of nearby aqueducts or springs to provide them with drinking water as well as water where they could bathe or wash. Up to the late nineteenth century, water fountains had to be near an aqueduct or reservoir and higher than the fountain so that gravity could make the water flow down or jet high into the air. Artists thought of fountains as wonderful additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to supply clean water and honor the artist responsible for building it. The main components used by the Romans to create their fountains were bronze or stone masks, mostly depicting animals or heroes. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden planners included fountains to create mini depictions of the gardens of paradise. King Louis XIV of France wanted to demonstrate his superiority over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. To mark the entrance of the restored Roman aqueducts, the Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries commissioned the building of baroque style fountains in the spot where the aqueducts entered the city of Rome
The end of the nineteenth century saw the rise in usage of indoor plumbing to supply drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to strictly decorative elements. Gravity was substituted by mechanical pumps in order to permit fountains to bring in clean water and allow for amazing water displays.
Modern fountains are used to adorn public spaces, honor individuals or events, and enrich recreational and entertainment events.