Water Delivery Strategies in Ancient Rome

Water Delivery Strategies in Ancient Rome With the manufacturing of the very first raised aqueduct in Rome, the Aqua Anio Vetus in 273 BC, individuals who lived on the city’s foothills no longer had to rely entirely on naturally-occurring spring water for their requirements. Water Delivery Strategies Ancient Rome 94887497.jpg

Water Delivery Strategies Ancient Rome 94887497.jpg

During this time period, there were only two other technologies capable of delivering water to higher areas, subterranean wells and cisterns, which gathered rainwater. From the beginning of the sixteenth century, water was routed to Pincian Hill through the subterranean channel of Acqua Vergine. Pozzi, or manholes, were constructed at regular intervals along the aqueduct’s channel. The manholes made it easier to clean the channel, but it was also achievable to use buckets to remove water from the aqueduct, as we viewed with Cardinal Marcello Crescenzi when he bought the property from 1543 to 1552, the year he died. Despite the fact that the cardinal also had a cistern to collect rainwater, it didn’t supply enough water. Through an orifice to the aqueduct that flowed underneath his property, he was able to fulfill his water desires.

The First Modern Outdoor Wall Fountains

First Modern Outdoor Wall Fountains 60698135501867555.jpg

The First Modern Outdoor Wall Fountains The translation of hundreds of classic Greek documents into Latin was commissioned by the learned Pope Nicholas V who ruled the Church in Rome from 1397 till 1455. He undertook the embellishment of Rome to make it into the worthy seat of the Christian world. Beginning in 1453, the ruined ancient Roman aqueduct known as the Aqua Vergine which had brought fresh drinking water into the city from eight miles away, underwent repair at the bidding of the Pope. The ancient Roman tradition of marking the arrival point of an aqueduct with an imposing celebratory fountain, also known as a mostra, was restored by Nicholas V. The present-day site of the Trevi Fountain was formerly occupied by a wall fountain commissioned by the Pope and built by the architect Leon Battista Alberti. The aqueduct he had reconditioned included modifications and extensions which eventually allowed it to supply water to the Trevi Fountain as well as the renowned baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and the Piazza Navona.

The Father Of Roman Public Fountain Design

The Father Of Roman Public Fountain Design There are countless renowned Roman water features in its city center. One of the most distinguished sculptors and artists of the 17th century, Gian Lorenzo Bernini fashioned, conceived and constructed nearly all of them. He was furthermore a urban architect, in addition to his abilities as a water feature engineer, and traces of his life's work are noticeable all through the streets of Rome. A renowned Florentine sculptor, Bernini's father guided his young son, and they ultimately went to Rome to totally express their art, mainly in the form of public water features and water fountains. The young Bernini earned encouragement from Popes and influential artists alike, and was an exceptional employee. At the beginning he was celebrated for his sculptural skills. Working gracefully with Roman marble, he made use of a base of experience in the historical Greek architecture, most obviously in the Vatican. Although many artists had an impact on his work, Michelangelo had the most profound effect.