The Beginnings of Contemporary Wall Fountains

The Beginnings of Contemporary Wall Fountains Pope Nicholas V, himself a learned man, ruled the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 to 1455 during which time he commissioned many translations of old classic Greek texts into Latin. Beautifying Rome and making it the worthy capital of the Christian world was at the heart of his objectives. Reconstruction of the Acqua Vergine, a desolate 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, a grandiose celebratory fountain built by ancient Romans to memorialize the entry point of an aqueduct, was a custom revived by Nicholas V. The architect Leon Battista Alberti was directed by the Pope to put up a wall fountain where we now see the Trevi Fountain. Adjustments and extensions, included in the repaired aqueduct, eventually supplied the Trevi Fountain and the well-known baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona with the necessary water supply.

Outdoor Fountains Lost to History

Outdoor Fountains Lost to History The water from rivers and other sources was initially supplied to the inhabitants of nearby communities and cities by way of water fountains, whose purpose was largely practical, not aesthetic. Gravity was the power supply of water fountains up until the conclusion of the nineteenth century, using the forceful power of water traveling down hill from a spring or creek to squeeze the water through valves or other outlets. Typically used as monuments and commemorative edifices, water fountains have impressed men and women from all over the planet all through the centuries. Outdoor Fountains Lost History 11795768.jpg

Outdoor Fountains Lost History 11795768.jpg

Simple in design, the 1st water fountains did not look much like modern-day fountains. Crafted for drinking water and ceremonial reasons, the very first fountains were simple carved stone basins. 2,000 BC is when the oldest identified stone fountain basins were used. Early fountains put to use in ancient civilizations relied on gravity to regulate the circulation of water through the fountain. Drinking water was provided by public fountains, long before fountains became elaborate public statues, as striking as they are practical. Fountains with ornamental Gods, mythological beasts, and creatures began to appear in Rome in about 6 BC, crafted from stone and bronze. A well-engineered system of reservoirs and aqueducts kept Rome's public fountains supplied with fresh water.