The Origins Of Fountains

The Origins Of Fountains A fountain, an incredible piece of engineering, not only supplies drinking water as it pours into a basin, it can also launch water high into the air for a noteworthy effect.

Pure practicality was the original purpose of fountains. Cities, towns and villages made use of nearby aqueducts or springs to provide them with drinking water as well as water where they could bathe or wash. Until the late nineteenth, century most water fountains functioned 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. Fountains were not only used as a water source for drinking water, but also to decorate homes and celebrate the artist who created it. Bronze or stone masks of wildlife and heroes were frequently seen on Roman fountains. Throughout the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden planners included fountains to create smaller variations of the gardens of paradise. Fountains enjoyed a considerable 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 exalt the Popes who commissioned them as well as to mark the location where the restored Roman aqueducts entered the city. Origins Fountains 8565895136779692162.jpg

Urban fountains built at the end of the nineteenth served only as decorative and celebratory ornaments since indoor plumbing provided the necessary drinking water. The creation of unique water effects and the recycling of water were 2 things made possible by replacing gravity with mechanical pumps.

Modern fountains are used to embellish public spaces, honor individuals or events, and enrich recreational and entertainment events.

Bernini's Early Masterpieces

Bernini's Early Masterpieces One can find Bernini's earliest masterpiece, the Barcaccia fountain, at the foot of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. To this day, this spot is flooded with Roman locals and travelers alike who enjoy debate and each other's company. Today, the city streets around Bernini's water fountain are a trendy area where people go to gather, something which the artist would have been pleased to learn. Dating back to around 1630, Pope Urbano VIII mandated what was to be the earliest water fountain of the master's career. An enormous boat slowly sinking into the Mediterranean is the fountain's main theme. The great flooding of the Tevere that blanketed the whole region with water in the 16th was commemorated by this momentous fountain as recorded by reports dating back to this time. In 1665, France was graced by Bernini's one-and-only lengthy trip outside of Italy.