The Godfather Of Roman Garden Water Fountains
The Godfather Of Roman Garden Water Fountains
There are countless renowned fountains in the city center of Rome. Practically all of them were planned, architected and constructed by one of the greatest sculptors and designers of the 17th century, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Traces of his life's work are apparent all through the avenues of Rome simply because, in addition to his skills as a fountain builder, he was also a city architect. To completely express their skill, chiefly in the form of public water features and water fountains, Bernini's father, a celebrated Florentine sculptor, mentored his young son, and they ultimately relocated in the City of Rome. The juvenile Bernini was an exemplary worker and received compliments and patronage of significant painters as well as popes. At the beginning he was recognized for his sculptural skills. Most notably in the Vatican, he utilized a base of experience in historical Greek architecture and melded it seamlessly with Roman marble. Although many artists impacted his artistic endeavors, Michelangelo influenced him the most.
The Origins Of Garden Fountains
The Origins Of Garden Fountains A water fountain is an architectural piece that pours water into a basin or jets it high into the air in order to supply drinking water, as well as for decorative purposes.Originally, fountains only served a practical purpose. Inhabitants of urban areas, townships and small towns used them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash up, which meant that fountains had to be connected to nearby aqueduct or spring. Up until the nineteenth, fountains had to be more elevated and closer to a water source, including aqueducts and reservoirs, in order to take advantage of gravity which fed the fountains.
Acting as an element of adornment and celebration, fountains also supplied clean, fresh drinking water. Bronze or stone masks of animals and heroes were frequently seen on Roman fountains. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden designers included fountains in their designs to mimic the gardens of paradise. Fountains played a significant role in the Gardens of Versailles, all part of French King Louis XIV’s desire to exert his power over nature. The Romans of the 17th and 18th centuries manufactured baroque decorative fountains to glorify 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 purely decorative elements. Impressive water effects and recycled water were made possible by replacing the force of gravity with mechanical pumps.
Beautifying city parks, honoring people or events and entertaining, are some of the functions of modern-day fountains.