The Origins Of Fountains
The Origins Of Fountains A water fountain is an architectural piece that pours water into a basin or jets it high into the air in order to provide drinkable water, as well as for decorative purposes.Pure practicality was the original role 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. Up until the nineteenth, fountains had to be more elevated and closer to a water supply, such as aqueducts and reservoirs, in order to take advantage of gravity which fed the fountains. Fountains were an optimal source of water, and also served to adorn living areas and memorialize the designer. Bronze or stone masks of animals and heroes were commonly seen on Roman fountains. To depict the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages introduced fountains to their designs. Fountains played a significant role in the Gardens of Versailles, all part of French King Louis XIV’s desire to exert his power over nature. Seventeen and 18 century Popes sought to laud their positions by adding 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. Amazing water effects and recycled water were made possible by replacing the force of gravity with mechanical pumps.
Modern fountains are used to adorn public spaces, honor individuals or events, and enhance recreational and entertainment events.
Bernini: The Genius Behind Italy's Most Impressive Water Fountains
Bernini: The Genius Behind Italy's Most Impressive Water Fountains One can find Bernini's very first masterpiece, the Barcaccia water fountain, at the foot of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. This area continues to be filled with Roman locals and visitors who like to exchanging gossip or going over the day's news. Today, the city streets around Bernini's water fountain are a trendy place where people go to gather, something which the artist would have been pleased to learn.
In about 1630, the great artist designed the very first water fountain of his career at the behest of Pope Ubano VIII. Illustrated in the fountain's design is a great ship slowly sinking into the Mediterranean Sea. Period writings dating back to the 16th century indicate that the fountain was constructed as a monument to those who lost their lives in the great flooding of the Tevere. In what turned out to be his sole extended absence from Italy, Bernini {journeyed | traveled] to France in 1665.