Gian Lorenzo Bernini's Outdoor Fountains
Gian Lorenzo Bernini's Outdoor Fountains
There are countless popular fountains in the city center of Rome. Gian Lorenzo Bernini, one of the best sculptors and artists of the 17th century designed, conceptualized and constructed virtually all of them. His expertise as a water feature designer and also as a city architect, are evident all through the avenues of Rome. Bernini's father, a renowned Florentine sculptor, mentored his young son, and they ultimately moved to Rome, in order to fully express their art, primarily in the form of public water fountains and water features. An excellent worker, the young Bernini earned compliments and patronage of many popes and influential designers. At the beginning he was known for his sculptural abilities. Most particularly in the Vatican, he utilized a base of experience in ancient Greek architecture and melded it seamlessly with Roman marble. Although many artists had an influence on his work, Michelangelo had the most profound effect.
Where did Garden Water Fountains Originate from?
Where did Garden Water Fountains Originate from? The dramatic or decorative effect of a fountain is just one of the purposes it fulfills, in addition to supplying drinking water and adding a decorative touch to your property. From the onset, outdoor fountains were simply meant to serve as functional elements. Inhabitants of cities, townships and small towns used them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash, which meant that fountains had 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 origin of water such as reservoirs or aqueducts, had to be higher than the water fountain in order to benefit from the power of gravity. Fountains were an optimal source of water, and also served to adorn living areas and memorialize the designer. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often times used by Romans to decorate their fountains. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden designers included fountains in their designs to mimic the gardens of paradise. The fountains seen in the Gardens of Versailles were intended to show the power over nature held by King Louis XIV of France. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were extolled with baroque style fountains constructed to mark the place of entry of Roman aqueducts.
Urban fountains created at the end of the 19th century functioned only as decorative and celebratory ornaments since indoor plumbing provided the necessary drinking water. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity enabled fountains to bring recycled water into living spaces as well as create unique water effects.
Modern-day fountains serve mostly as decoration for community spaces, to honor individuals or events, and compliment entertainment and recreational gatherings.
Anglo Saxon Landscapes at the Time of the Norman Conquest
Anglo Saxon Landscapes at the Time of the Norman Conquest The arrival of the Normans in the 2nd half of the eleventh century irreparably altered The Anglo-Saxon lifestyle.
The Normans were better than the Anglo-Saxons at architecture and horticulture when they came into power. But before centering on home-life or having the occasion to think about domestic architecture or decoration, the Normans had to subjugate an entire society. Castles were more fundamental designs and often constructed on blustery hills, where their tenants devoted both time and space to practicing offense and defense, while monasteries were large stone buildings, regularly located in the widest, most fertile hollows. The barren fortresses did not provide for the peaceful avocation of horticulture. Berkeley Castle, maybe the most unspoiled style of the early Anglo-Norman style of architecture, still exists now. The keep is said to date from William the Conqueror's time. As a technique of deterring assailants from tunneling under the walls, an immense terrace encircles the building. On one of these terraces lies a quaint bowling green: it is coated in grass and flanked by an old yew hedge that is created into the shape of rough ramparts.