The Outdoor Public Fountains
The Outdoor Public Fountains
Water fountains were originally practical in function, used to convey water from canals or creeks to towns and villages, supplying the inhabitants with clean water to drink, bathe, and cook with. A source of water higher in elevation than the fountain was necessary to pressurize the flow and send water squirting from the fountain's spout, a technology without equal until the later part of the 19th century. The beauty and spectacle of fountains make them ideal for historical monuments. The common fountains of today bear little resemblance to the first water fountains. Uncomplicated stone basins sculpted from local rock were the first fountains, used for spiritual functions and drinking water. The initial stone basins are believed to be from about 2000 B.C.. The first fountains used in ancient civilizations relied on gravity to control the flow of water through the fountain. Drinking water was supplied by public fountains, long before fountains became elaborate public monuments, as beautiful as they are practical. Fountains with embellished Gods, mythological beasts, and creatures began to show up in Rome in about 6 B.C., made from stone and bronze. The extraordinary aqueducts of Rome delivered water to the eye-catching public fountains, many of which you can go see today.
Where did Landscape Fountains Originate from?
Where did Landscape Fountains Originate from?
The amazing or decorative effect of a fountain is just one of the purposes it fulfills, in addition to providing drinking water and adding a decorative touch to your property. Pure functionality was the original role of fountains. Cities, towns and villages made use of nearby aqueducts or springs to supply them with potable water as well as water where they could bathe or wash. Up to the late 19th century, water fountains had to be near an aqueduct or reservoir and more elevated than the fountain so that gravity could make the water move downwards or jet high into the air. Fountains were an excellent 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 used by Romans to beautify their fountains. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden designers included fountains in their designs to re-create the gardens of paradise. King Louis XIV of France wanted to demonstrate his superiority over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. To mark the entrance of the restored Roman aqueducts, the Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries commissioned the construction of baroque style fountains in the spot where the aqueducts arrived in the city of Rome
Urban fountains created at the end of the nineteenth functioned only as decorative and celebratory adornments since indoor plumbing provided the essential drinking water. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity helped fountains to bring recycled water into living spaces as well as create unique water effects.
Contemporary fountains are used to adorn community spaces, honor individuals or events, and enhance recreational and entertainment events.
Bernini’s Early Italian Water Fountains
Bernini’s Early Italian Water Fountains The Barcaccia, Bernini's first fountain, is a striking chef d'oeuvre built at the base of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. Roman residents and site seers who appreciate conversation as well as being the company of others still flood this spot. The streets neighboring his fountain have come to be one of the city’s most trendy gathering places, something which would certainly have pleased Bernini himself. In about 1630, the great artist designed the very first water fountain of his career at the behest of Pope Ubano VIII. Depicted in the fountain's design is a large vessel gradually sinking into the Mediterranean Sea.
Period reports dating back to the 16th century indicate that the fountain was built as a monument to those who lost their lives in the great flooding of the Tevere. In 1665, France was graced by Bernini's one-and-only prolonged journey outside of Italy.