Builders of the First Water Features
Builders of the First Water Features Often working as architects, sculptors, artists, engineers and cultivated scholars all in one, from the 16th to the later part of the 18th century, fountain designers were multi-talented individuals,
Leonardo da Vinci, a Renaissance artist, was renowned as a creative genius, inventor and scientific expert. The forces of nature inspired him to investigate the properties and movement of water, and due to his fascination, he systematically documented his observations in his now renowned notebooks. Coupling creativity with hydraulic and horticultural talent, early Italian water feature engineers changed private villa settings into amazing water displays loaded of symbolic implications and natural beauty. Known for his incredible skill in archeology, architecture and garden design, Pirro Ligorio, the humanist, provided the vision behind the wonders in Tivoli. Masterminding the phenomenal water marbles, water features and water jokes for the numerous mansions near Florence, other fountain creators were well versed in humanistic themes and time-honored technical texts.
The Myriad Designs of Wall Fountains
The Myriad Designs of Wall Fountains
Small verandas or courtyards are an ideal place to install wall fountains because they add style to an area with limited space. When looking at the many types of outdoor wall fountains available including traditional, vintage, modern, or Asian, you are certain to find one most suitable to your design ideas. If you are looking for a distinctive design, a custom-made one can be specially made to fit your specifications. Depending on your requirements, you can pick from mounted or freestanding types. Little, self-contained mounted wall fountains can be installed on any surface. Normally made of resin (to look like stone) or fiber glass, these kinds of fountains are lightweight and easy to hang. Free-standing fountains, often referred to as floor fountains, are of considerable size, have a basin positioned on the ground and a smooth side which leans against a wall. Generally constructed of cast stone, this type of water feature is not limited in weight.
Customized fountains which can be incorporated into a new or existing wall are often recommended by landscaping designers. The basin and all the required plumbing are best installed by a qualified mason. The wall will need to have a spout or fountain mask incorporated into it. Custom-built wall fountains lend to a unified appearance because they become part of the landscape rather than look like a later addition.
Acqua Vergine: The Answer to Rome's Water Problems
Acqua Vergine: The Answer to Rome's Water Problems Aqua Anio Vetus, the first raised aqueduct built in Rome, commenced delivering the people living in the hills with water in 273 BC, although they had counted on natural springs up till then. Outside of these aqueducts and springs, wells and rainwater-collecting cisterns were the sole technologies readily available at the time to supply water to spots of high elevation. From the early sixteenth century, water was routed to Pincian Hill via the underground channel of Acqua Vergine. The aqueduct’s channel was made accessible by pozzi, or manholes, that were placed along its length when it was 1st constructed. While these manholes were developed to make it easier to preserve the aqueduct, it was also feasible to use buckets to remove water from the channel, which was employed by Cardinal Marcello Crescenzi from the time he bought the property in 1543 to his passing in 1552.
The cistern he had made to gather rainwater wasn’t adequate to meet his water demands. Fortunately, the aqueduct sat just below his residence, and he had a shaft established to give him accessibility.
Where did Landscape Fountains Come From?
Where did Landscape Fountains Come From? The incredible architecture of a fountain allows it to provide clean water or shoot water high into air for dramatic effect and it can also serve as an excellent design feature to enhance your home.
The primary purpose of a fountain was originally strictly practical. People in cities, towns and villages received their drinking water, as well as water to bathe and wash, via aqueducts or springs nearby. Up until the nineteenth, fountains had to be more elevated and closer to a water supply, including aqueducts and reservoirs, in order to take advantage of gravity which fed the fountains. Artists thought of fountains as wonderful additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to provide clean water and celebrate the artist responsible for creating it. Bronze or stone masks of animals and heroes were commonly seen on Roman fountains. Muslims and Moorish garden designers of the Middle Ages included fountains to re-create smaller versions of the gardens of paradise. King Louis XIV of France wanted to demonstrate his dominion over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. Seventeen and 18 century Popes sought to exalt their positions by including decorative baroque-style fountains at the point where restored Roman aqueducts arrived into the city.
Indoor plumbing became the main source of water by the end of the 19th century thereby limiting urban fountains to mere decorative elements. Impressive water effects and recycled water were made possible by switching the force of gravity with mechanical pumps.
Contemporary fountains are used to adorn public spaces, honor individuals or events, and enhance recreational and entertainment events.