A Chronicle of Garden Water Fountains

A Chronicle of Garden Water Fountains Hundreds of classic Greek documents were translated into Latin under the authority of the scholarly Pope Nicholas V, who ruled the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 to 1455. He undertook the embellishment of Rome to turn it into the model capital of the Christian world. Beginning in 1453, the ruined ancient Roman aqueduct known as the Aqua Vergine which had brought clean drinking water into the city from eight miles away, underwent repair at the bidding of the Pope. Building a mostra, an imposing celebratory fountain built by ancient Romans to memorialize the entry point of an aqueduct, was a tradition revived by Nicholas V. The Trevi Fountain now occupies the space previously filled with a wall fountain crafted by Leon Battista Albert, an architect commissioned by the Pope. The Trevi Fountain as well as the renowned baroque fountains located in the Piazza del Popolo and the Piazza Navona were eventually supplied with water from the modified aqueduct he had rebuilt.

Anglo-Saxon Landscapes at the Time of the Norman Conquest

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Anglo-Saxon Landscapes at the Time of the Norman Conquest The Anglo-Saxon way of life was considerably changed by the arrival of the Normans in the later eleventh century. At the time of the conquest, the Normans surpassed the Anglo-Saxons in building design and cultivation. However, there was no time for home life, domesticated design, and adornment until the Normans had conquered the whole region. Monasteries and castles served different functions, so while monasteries were large stone structures built in only the most productive, wide dales, castles were set upon blustery knolls where the residents focused on understanding offensive and defensive practices. The serene method of gardening was not viable in these bleak bastions. Berkeley Castle is probably the most intact model in existence at present of the early Anglo-Norman form of architecture. The keep is said to date from William the Conqueror's time period. A significant terrace serves as a hindrance to intruders who would try to mine the walls of the building. On one of these parapets is a scenic bowling green covered in grass and enclosed by an aged hedge of yew that has been designed into coarse battlements.

Sculpture As a Staple of Vintage Art in Historic Greece

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Sculpture As a Staple of Vintage Art in Historic Greece The initial freestanding sculpture was improved by the Archaic Greeks, a recognized achievement since until then the only carvings in existence were reliefs cut into walls and pillars. Younger, ideal male or female (kore) Greeks were the subject matter of most of the statues, or kouros figures. Thought of by Greeks to embody beauty, the kouroi were shaped into firm, forward facing positions with one foot outstretched, and the male statues were usually nude, brawny, and fit. The kouroi started to be life-sized commencing in 650 BC. A massive age of modification for the Greeks, the Archaic period helped bring about more forms of state, expressions of artwork, and a greater comprehension of people and customs outside of Greece. Throughout this time and other periods of historic tumultuousness, encounters often happened, most notably wars fought amongst city-states such as the Arcadian wars and the Spartan infiltration of Samos.

The Magificent First Wonders by Bernini

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Bernini's earliest fountain, named Barcaccia, is a masterful work of art found at the bottom of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. To this day, this spot is flooded with Roman locals and tourists alike who enjoy debate and each other's company. Bernini would without a doubt have been happy to know that people still flock to what has become one the city's trendiest areas, that surrounding his amazing water fountain. Dating back to around 1630, Pope Urbano VIII commissioned what was to be the earliest water fountain of the master's career. The fountain’s central theme is based on an enormous boat slowly sinking into the Mediterranean. The great 16th century flood of the Tevere, which left the entire region inundated with water, was memorialized by the fountain according to documents from the period. In 1665 Bernini traveled to France, in what was to be his only lengthy absence from Italy.