Modern Garden Decoration: Large Outdoor Water Fountains and their Beginnings
Modern Garden Decoration: Large Outdoor Water Fountains and their Beginnings 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 central purpose of a fountain was originally strictly functional. Inhabitants of urban areas, townships and small towns used them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash, which meant that fountains needed to be linked to nearby aqueduct or spring. Used until the nineteenth 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. Fountains were not only used as a water source for drinking water, but also to decorate homes and celebrate the designer who created it. Roman fountains often depicted images of animals or heroes made of metal or stone masks. Muslims and Moorish landscaping designers of the Middle Ages included fountains to re-create smaller models of the gardens of paradise. The fountains seen in the Gardens of Versailles were supposed to show the power over nature held by King Louis XIV of France. To mark the entrance of the restored Roman aqueducts, the Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries commissioned the building of baroque style fountains in the spot where the aqueducts arrived in the city of Rome
Indoor plumbing became the main source of water by the end of the 19th century thereby limiting urban fountains to mere decorative elements.
The creation of special water effects and the recycling of water were two things made possible by swapping gravity with mechanical pumps.
Modern-day fountains serve mostly as decoration for community spaces, to honor individuals or events, and enhance entertainment and recreational events.
The One Cleaning Solution to NEVER Use On Your Outdoor Water fountains
The One Cleaning Solution to NEVER Use On Your Outdoor Water fountains Adequate care and regular cleaning are important to the longevity of water fountains. Leaves, twigs, and bugs often find their way into fountains, so it is essential to keep yours free from such things. Additionally, anywhere light from the sun mixes with still water, algae can develop. In order to prevent this, there are some basic ingredients that can be poured into the water, such as vinegar, sea salt, or hydrogen peroxide. Bleach can also be mixed into the water, however this is not an ideal option because it can harm birds or other animals.A complete cleaning every three-four months is recommended for garden fountains. Before you can start cleaning it you must drain out all of the water. When you have done this, scrub inside the water reservoir with a gentle detergent. A useful tip is to use a toothbrush if there are tiny hard-to-reach spots. Make sure all the soap is completely cleaned off.
Make sure you get rid of any calcium or plankton by taking the pump apart and scrubbing the inside thoroughly.
To make it less difficult, soak it in vinegar overnight before cleaning. Neither rain water nor mineral water contain components that will build up inside the pump, so use either over tap water if possible.
One final tip for keeping your fountain in top working shape is to check the water level every day and make sure it is full. Low water levels can damage the pump - and you do not want that!
The History of Outdoor Fountains
The History of Outdoor Fountains Hundreds of classic Greek texts were translated into Latin under the authority of the scholarly Pope Nicholas V, who led the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 to 1455.
It was imperative for him to embellish the city of Rome to make it worthy of being known as the capital of the Christian world. Restoration of the Acqua Vergine, a ruined Roman aqueduct which had transported fresh drinking water into the city from eight miles away, began in 1453 at the bidding of the Pope. Building a mostra, an imposing celebratory fountain built by ancient Romans to memorialize the entry point of an aqueduct, was a tradition revived by Nicholas V. The architect Leon Battista Alberti was commissioned by the Pope to put up a wall fountain where we now find the Trevi Fountain. Changes and extensions, included in the restored aqueduct, eventually provided the Trevi Fountain and the well-known baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona with the necessary water supply.