Where did Fountains Come From?

Where did Fountains Come From? A water fountain is an architectural piece that pours water into a basin or jets it high into the air in order to supply drinking water, as well as for decorative purposes.

From the onset, outdoor fountains were soley meant to serve as functional elements. Residents of cities, townships and small towns used them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash up, 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 gravity. Fountains were an excellent source of water, and also served to adorn living areas and celebrate the designer. Roman fountains often depicted images of animals or heroes made of metal or stone masks. To depict the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages added fountains to their designs. King Louis XIV of France wanted to demonstrate his dominion over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were extolled with baroque style fountains made to mark the arrival points of Roman aqueducts.

The end of the nineteenth century saw the increase in usage of indoor plumbing to supply drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to purely decorative elements. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity allowed fountains to bring recycled water into living spaces as well as create special water effects.

Beautifying city parks, honoring people or events and entertaining, are some of the purposes of modern-day fountains.

Rome’s First Water Delivery Systems

Rome’s First Water Delivery Systems Prior to 273, when the 1st elevated aqueduct, Aqua Anio Vetus, was made in Roma, residents who dwelled on hills had to journey even further down to collect their water from natural sources. Over this period, there were only 2 other technologies capable of offering water to high areas, subterranean wells and cisterns, which amassed rainwater. To offer water to Pincian Hill in the early 16th century, they employed the new process of redirecting the stream from the Acqua Vergine aqueduct’s underground network. As originally constructed, the aqueduct was provided along the length of its channel with pozzi (manholes) constructed at regular intervals. Rome’s First Water Delivery Systems 974955768568188505.jpg

Even though they were initially designed to make it possible to support the aqueduct, Cardinal Marcello Crescenzi started out using the manholes to collect water from the channel, commencing when he bought the property in 1543. Reportedly, the rainwater cistern on his property wasn’t good enough to fulfill his needs. Via an opening to the aqueduct that flowed underneath his property, he was in a position to reach his water wants.

Architectural Statuary in Early Greece

Architectural Statuary in Early Greece Historically, the vast majority of sculptors were paid by the temples to decorate the elaborate columns and archways with renderings of the gods, however as the period came to a close it became more accepted for sculptors to portray regular people as well because many Greeks had begun to think of their religion as superstitious rather than sacred. Sometimes, a interpretation of wealthy families' ancestors would be commissioned to be located inside of huge familial tombs, and portraiture, which would be copied by the Romans upon their conquest of Greek civilization, also became customary. A time of artistic enhancement, the use of sculpture and other art forms transformed through the Greek Classical period, so it is inexact to assume that the arts provided only one function. Whether to satisfy a visual desire or to rejoice in the figures of religion, Greek sculpture was an imaginative practice in the ancient world, which may well be what draws our attention currently.