Bernini's Earliest Showpieces

The Barcaccia, a beautiful fountain constructed at the base of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna, was Bernini's earliest fountain. To this day, this area is flooded with Roman locals and travelers alike who enjoy conversation and each other's company. Today, the city streets surrounding Bernini's fountain are a trendy place where people go to meet, something which the artist would have been pleased to learn. In around 1630, Pope Urbano VIII helped Bernini launch his career with the construction of his very first fountain. A large vessel slowly sinking into the Mediterranean is the fountain's main theme. Period reports dating back to the 16th century indicate that the fountain was built as a memorial to those who lost their lives in the great flooding of the Tevere. Absenting himself from Italy only once in his life for a lengthy period of time, in 1665 Bernini traveled to France.

Modern Garden Decor: Fountains and their Roots

Modern Garden Decor: Fountains and their Roots A fountain, an amazing 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.

Originally, fountains only served a practical purpose. Residents of cities, townships and small towns utilized them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash up, which meant that fountains needed to be connected to nearby aqueduct or spring. Until the late 19th, century most water fountains operated using the force of gravity to allow water to flow or jet into the air, therefore, they needed a source of water such as a reservoir or aqueduct located higher than the fountain. Fountains were not only utilized as a water source for drinking water, but also to adorn homes and celebrate the designer who created 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 designers included fountains in their designs to mimic the gardens of paradise. Fountains played a considerable role in the Gardens of Versailles, all part of French King Louis XIV’s desire to exercise his power over nature. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were extolled with baroque style fountains constructed to mark the place of entry of Roman aqueducts.

Since indoor plumbing became the standard of the day for clean, drinking water, by the end of the 19th century urban fountains were no longer needed for this purpose and they became purely decorative. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity helped fountains to provide recycled water into living spaces as well as create unique water effects.

Modern-day fountains serve mostly as decoration for public spaces, to honor individuals or events, and compliment entertainment and recreational gatherings.