The Many Construction Materials of Outdoor Fountains
The Many Construction Materials of Outdoor Fountains While today’s garden fountains are made in a variety of materials, most are crafted from metal. Metals tend to yield clean lines and unique sculptural accents and can fit almost any design preference or budget. Your landscape should complement the style of your home.A common choice today is copper, and it is used in the making of many sculptural garden fountains. Copper is used in cascade and tabletop water fountains as well as many other styles, making it versatile enough for inside and outside fountains. Copper fountains also come in a huge array of designs - from fun and eccentric to modern and cutting-edge.
If your style is more conventional, a brass water fountain might work for you. Even though they are a bit old-fashioned, brass fountains are quite widespread because they often include interesting artwork.
Of all the metals, stainless steel is seen as the most contemporary-looking. If you pick a cutting-edge steel design, both the value and tranquility of your garden will get a nice boost. Like all water fountains, you can get them in just about any size you prefer.
Fiberglass fountains are popular because they look similar to metal but are more affordable and much easier to move around. It is not complicated to clean and maintain a fiberglass water fountain, yet another reason they are common.
Aqueducts: The Answer to Rome's Water Problems
Aqueducts: The Answer to Rome's Water Problems Rome’s first elevated aqueduct, Aqua Anio Vetus, was built in 273 BC; prior to that, inhabitants residing at higher elevations had to rely on natural creeks for their water. Outside of these aqueducts and springs, wells and rainwater-collecting cisterns were the only techniques obtainable at the time to supply water to spots of high elevation. From the beginning of the sixteenth century, water was routed to Pincian Hill through the underground channel of Acqua Vergine. The aqueduct’s channel was made attainable by pozzi, or manholes, that were installed along its length when it was first designed. Whilst these manholes were created to make it less difficult to conserve the aqueduct, it was also possible to use buckets to extract water from the channel, which was utilized by Cardinal Marcello Crescenzi from the time he purchased the property in 1543 to his death in 1552. It appears that, the rainwater cistern on his property wasn’t enough to fulfill his needs. To provide himself with a much more useful means to obtain water, he had one of the manholes opened, giving him access to the aqueduct below his property.Where did Garden Water Fountains Come From?
Where did Garden Water Fountains Come From?
Originally, fountains only served a practical purpose. Water fountains were linked to a spring or aqueduct to supply potable water as well as bathing water for cities, townships and villages. Until the late 19th, century most water fountains operated using gravity to allow water to flow or jet into the air, therefore, they needed a source of water such as a reservoir or aqueduct located higher than the fountain. Designers thought of fountains as wonderful additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to provide clean water and celebrate the designer responsible for building it. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often times utilized by Romans to beautify their fountains. Muslims and Moorish garden designers of the Middle Ages included fountains to re-create smaller models of the gardens of paradise. Fountains played a considerable role in the Gardens of Versailles, all part of French King Louis XIV’s desire to exert his power over nature. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were extolled with baroque style fountains made to mark the place of entry of Roman aqueducts.
The end of the 19th century saw the rise in usage of indoor plumbing to provide drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to strictly decorative elements. Gravity was substituted by mechanical pumps in order to permit fountains to bring in clean water and allow for beautiful water displays.
Modern-day fountains serve mostly as decoration for community spaces, to honor individuals or events, and enhance entertainment and recreational activities.