Aqueducts: The Solution to Rome's Water Problems
Aqueducts: The Solution to Rome's Water Problems Rome’s very first elevated aqueduct, Aqua Anio Vetus, was built in 273 BC; before that, inhabitants residing at higher elevations had to rely on natural creeks for their water. When aqueducts or springs weren’t accessible, people living at raised elevations turned to water removed from underground or rainwater, which was made available by wells and cisterns. To furnish water to Pincian Hill in the early 16th century, they applied the new technique of redirecting the stream from the Acqua Vergine aqueduct’s underground channel. During its original construction, pozzi (or manholes) were installed at set intervals along the aqueduct’s channel. The manholes made it less demanding to thoroughly 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 bought the property from 1543 to 1552, the year he died. Despite the fact that the cardinal also had a cistern to collect rainwater, it didn’t supply enough water. That is when he made the decision to create an access point to the aqueduct that ran under his residence.Where did Landscape Fountains Originate from?
Where did Landscape Fountains Originate from? The incredible construction of a fountain allows it to provide clean water or shoot water high into air for dramatic effect and it can also serve as an excellent design feature to enhance your home.The primary purpose of a fountain was originally strictly practical. 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 connected 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. Serving as an element of decoration and celebration, fountains also provided clean, fresh drinking water. Roman fountains usually depicted imagery of animals or heroes made of metal or stone masks.
During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden designers included fountains in their designs to re-create the gardens of paradise. To demonstrate his dominance over nature, French King Louis XIV included fountains in the Garden of Versailles. 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 location where the restored Roman aqueducts entered the city.
The end of the nineteenth century saw the rise in usage of indoor plumbing to provide drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to strictly decorative elements. Amazing water effects and recycled water were made possible by replacing the force of gravity with mechanical pumps.
Modern-day fountains serve mostly as decoration for public spaces, to honor individuals or events, and compliment entertainment and recreational events.