The Outdoor Garden Fountains
The Outdoor Garden Fountains As originally conceived, water fountains were crafted to be functional, guiding water from streams or reservoirs to the inhabitants of cities and settlements, where the water could be used for cooking, washing, and drinking. To make water flow through a fountain until the end of the 1800’s, and generate a jet of water, demanded the force of gravity and a water source such as a creek or reservoir, situated higher than the fountain. Fountains all through history have been crafted as monuments, impressing local citizens and visitors alike. If you saw the first fountains, you probably would not recognize them as fountains. The 1st accepted water fountain was a stone basin created that was used as a container for drinking water and ceremonial purposes. The earliest stone basins are presumed to be from about 2000 B.C.. The force of gravity was the energy source that operated the earliest water fountains. Situated near aqueducts or springs, the practical public water fountains supplied the local populace with fresh drinking water. Fountains with flowery decoration started to appear in Rome in approximately 6 BC, commonly gods and creatures, made with natural stone or copper-base alloy. The City of Rome had an elaborate system of aqueducts that supplied the water for the many fountains that were placed throughout the community.The Origins Of Fountains
The Origins Of Fountains The dramatic or ornamental effect of a fountain is just one of the purposes it fulfills, as well as supplying drinking water and adding a decorative touch to your property.
From the beginning, outdoor fountains were soley there to serve as functional elements. Inhabitants of urban areas, townships and small towns used them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash, which meant that fountains needed to be linked to nearby aqueduct or spring. Used until the 19th century, in order for fountains to flow or shoot up into the air, their source of water such as reservoirs or aqueducts, had to be higher than the water fountain in order to benefit from the power of gravity. Artists thought of fountains as amazing additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to provide clean water and celebrate the designer responsible for creating it. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often times used by Romans to decorate their fountains. Muslims and Moorish landscaping 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. To mark the entryway of the restored Roman aqueducts, the Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries commissioned the building of baroque style fountains in the spot where the aqueducts entered the city of Rome
The end of the 19th century saw the rise in usage of indoor plumbing to provide drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to strictly decorative elements. Gravity was replaced by mechanical pumps in order to enable fountains to bring in clean water and allow for beautiful water displays.
Embellishing city parks, honoring people or events and entertaining, are some of the purposes of modern-day fountains.
Bernini's Outdoor Fountains
Bernini's Outdoor Fountains
There are many famous water features in Rome’s city center. Nearly all of them were designed, architected and constructed by one of the finest sculptors and artists of the 17th century, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. His expertise as a water feature developer and also as a city architect, are observable throughout the avenues of Rome. Ultimately transferring to Rome to totally reveal their artwork, chiefly in the shape of community water features, Bernini’s father, a distinguished Florentine sculptor, guided his young son. An exceptional worker, Bernin received praise and the the backing of popes and well known artists. At the start he was renowned for his sculptural abilities. Most famously in the Vatican, he used a base of knowledge in classic Greek architecture and melded it flawlessly with Roman marble. Although many artists had an influence on his work, Michelangelo had the most profound effect.