A Concise History of the Early Outdoor Water Features

A Concise History of the Early Outdoor Water Features The water from springs and other sources was initially provided to the residents of nearby towns and municipalities by way of water fountains, whose design was primarily practical, not aesthetic. To generate water flow through a fountain until the later part of the 1800’s, and produce a jet of water, required gravity and a water source such as a spring or reservoir, situated higher than the fountain. The beauty and wonder of fountains make them appropriate for historic memorials. Concise History Early Outdoor Water Features 4288776769201603672.jpg

Concise History Early Outdoor Water Features 4288776769201603672.jpg

Rough in style, the first water fountains didn't appear much like contemporary fountains. The very first recognized water fountain was a natural stone basin created that was used as a receptacle for drinking water and ceremonial purposes. 2,000 B.C. is when the earliest identified stone fountain basins were used. The spraying of water emerging from small jets was pushed by gravity, the only power source designers had in those days. Situated near reservoirs or springs, the practical public water fountains furnished the local populace with fresh drinking water. The Romans began constructing decorative fountains in 6 B.C., most of which were bronze or stone masks of animals and mythological heroes. Water for the communal fountains of Rome was delivered to the city via a intricate system of water aqueducts.

The Root of Modern Outdoor Wall Fountains

The Root of Modern Outdoor Wall Fountains Root Modern Outdoor Wall Fountains 44750965499950956624.jpg

The translation of hundreds of classical Greek texts into Latin was commissioned by the scholarly Pope Nicholas V who ruled the Church in Rome from 1397 until 1455. Beautifying Rome and making it the worthy capital of the Christian world was at the heart of his objectives. At the bidding of the Pope, the Aqua Vergine, a damaged aqueduct which had carried clean drinking water into Rome from eight miles away, was restored starting in 1453. The ancient Roman custom of marking the arrival point of an aqueduct with an magnificent celebratory fountain, also known as a mostra, was restored by Nicholas V. The present-day site of the Trevi Fountain was once occupied by a wall fountain commissioned by the Pope and constructed by the architect Leon Battista Alberti. The water which eventually provided the Trevi Fountain as well as the renown baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona flowed from the modified aqueduct which he had renovated.

The Impact of the Norman Invasion on Anglo Saxon Gardens

The Impact of the Norman Invasion on Anglo Saxon Gardens Anglo-Saxons encountered great adjustments to their daily lives in the latter half of the eleventh century due to the accession of the Normans. Engineering and horticulture were skills that the Normans excelled in, trumping that of the Anglo-Saxons at the time of the occupation. Nonetheless the Normans had to pacify the overall territory before they could concentrate on home life, domestic architecture, and decoration. Most often constructed upon windy peaks, castles were basic constructs that enabled their inhabitants to spend time and space to offensive and defensive strategies, while monasteries were rambling stone buildings frequently placed in only the most fecund, broad valleys. The barren fortresses did not provide for the peaceful avocation of horticulture. The best specimen of the early Anglo-Norman style of architecture existent in modern times is Berkeley Castle. It is said that the keep was developed during William the Conqueror's time. An enormous terrace encompasses the building, serving as an obstruction to assailants trying to dig under the castle walls. A picturesque bowling green, covered in grass and surrounded by battlements clipped out of an ancient yew hedge, creates one of the terraces.