Rome’s Early Water Transport Systems

Rome’s Early Water Transport Systems Previous to 273, when the 1st elevated aqueduct, Aqua Anio Vetus, was established in Rome, inhabitants who dwelled on hills had to travel further down to get their water from natural sources. If citizens residing at higher elevations did not have access to springs or the aqueduct, they’d have to depend on the other existing techniques of the day, cisterns that collected rainwater from the sky and subterranean wells that received the water from below ground. In the very early 16th century, the city began to utilize the water that flowed beneath the earth through Acqua Vergine to provide water to Pincian Hill. Through its original building and construction, pozzi (or manholes) were added at set intervals along the aqueduct’s channel. Even though they were initially planned to make it possible to support the aqueduct, Cardinal Marcello Crescenzi started out using the manholes to accumulate water from the channel, opening when he bought the property in 1543. He didn’t get a sufficient quantity of water from the cistern that he had constructed on his residential property to gather rainwater. Through an opening to the aqueduct that ran below his property, he was able to meet his water desires.

Creators of the First Water Fountains

Creators of the First Water Fountains Frequently serving as architects, sculptors, artists, engineers and discerning scholars, all in one, fountain designers were multi-talented people from the 16th to the late 18th century. Exemplifying the Renaissance skilled artist as a innovative legend, Leonardo da Vinci performed as an innovator and scientific specialist. With his tremendous curiosity about the forces of nature, he examined the attributes and motion of water and also carefully annotated his findings in his now much celebrated notebooks. Early Italian water fountain designers transformed private villa configurations into innovative water displays full of emblematic meaning and natural elegance by combining creativity with hydraulic and horticultural talent. The humanist Pirro Ligorio, distinguished for his virtuosity in archeology, architecture and garden design, delivered the vision behind the splendors in Tivoli. Well versed in humanistic themes as well as ancient technical readings, some other fountain designers were masterminding the phenomenal water marbles, water features and water pranks for the countless properties around Florence.