Water Transport Strategies in Early Rome

Water Transport Strategies in Early Rome Aqua Anio Vetus, the first raised aqueduct built in Rome, started off supplying the men and women living in the hills with water in 273 BC, even though they had relied on natural springs up until then. If residents residing at higher elevations did not have accessibility to springs or the aqueduct, they’d have to count on the other existing techniques of the time, cisterns that accumulated rainwater from the sky and subterranean wells that received the water from below ground. To provide water to Pincian Hill in the early 16th century, they implemented the new method of redirecting the circulation from the Acqua Vergine aqueduct’s underground channel. During its original building and construction, pozzi (or manholes) were added at set intervals along the aqueduct’s channel. The manholes made it more straightforward to clean the channel, but it was also achievable to use buckets to pull water from the aqueduct, as we discovered with Cardinal Marcello Crescenzi when he possessed the property from 1543 to 1552, the year he died. The cistern he had constructed to obtain rainwater wasn’t sufficient to meet his water requirements. To provide himself with a much more useful means to gather water, he had one of the manholes exposed, providing him access to the aqueduct below his residence.

The First Documented Outdoor Water Features of History

The First Documented Outdoor Water Features of History Water fountains were originally practical in purpose, used to bring water from canals or creeks to towns and villages, providing the residents with clean water to drink, wash, and prepare food with. A supply of water higher in elevation than the fountain was necessary to pressurize the flow and send water squirting from the fountain's spout, a system without equal until the late 19th century. First Documented Outdoor Water Features History 94938461220174.jpg

First Documented Outdoor Water Features History 94938461220174.jpg

Fountains spanning history have been created as memorials, impressing local citizens and travelers alike. The common fountains of today bear little similarity to the first water fountains. A natural stone basin, carved from rock, was the 1st fountain, used for holding water for drinking and ceremonial functions. 2000 BC is when the oldest identified stone fountain basins were actually used. The force of gravity was the energy source that controlled the oldest water fountains. These ancient fountains were designed to be functional, frequently situated along reservoirs, streams and rivers to furnish drinking water. Fountains with elaborate decoration started to show up in Rome in approx. 6 B.C., normally gods and animals, made with stone or copper-base alloy. A well-designed collection of reservoirs and aqueducts kept Rome's public fountains supplied with fresh water.

Bernini’s First Italian Fountains

Bernini’s First Italian Fountains Bernini's earliest fountain, named Barcaccia, is a masterful work of art seen at the bottom of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. To this day, this spot is filled with Roman locals and tourists alike who enjoy conversation and each other's company. Today, the city streets surrounding Bernini's water fountain are a trendy place where people go to meet, something which the artist would have been pleased to learn. Dating back to around 1630, Pope Urbano VIII mandated what was to be the very first water fountain of the master's career. Illustrated in the fountain's design is a great ship gradually sinking into the Mediterranean Sea. According to 16th century reports, a great flood of the Tevere covered the entire area in water, an event which was memorialized by the tremendous fountain. In 1665, France was graced by Bernini's one-and-only prolonged voyage outside of Italy.