Where did Fountains Originate from?
Where did Fountains Originate from? A fountain, an amazing piece of engineering, not only supplies drinking water as it pours into a basin, it can also launch water high into the air for a noteworthy effect. Pure practicality was the original purpose of fountains. Water fountains were linked to a spring or aqueduct to provide potable water as well as bathing water for cities, townships and villages. 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. Artists thought of fountains as wonderful additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to supply clean water and celebrate the designer responsible for creating it. Roman fountains usually depicted images of animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks. To illustrate the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages added fountains to their designs. The fountains found in the Gardens of Versailles were supposed to show the power over nature held by King Louis XIV of France. The Romans of the 17th and 18th centuries manufactured baroque decorative fountains to exalt the Popes who commissioned them as well as to mark the spot where the restored Roman aqueducts entered the city.
Urban fountains built at the end of the 19th century functioned only as decorative and celebratory ornaments since indoor plumbing provided the essential drinking water. The introduction of special water effects and the recycling of water were two things made possible by swapping gravity with mechanical pumps.
Nowadays, fountains adorn public areas and are used to recognize individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.