A Chronicle of Fountains

A Chronicle of 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 ancient classic Greek documents into Latin. It was imperative for him to beautify the city of Rome to make it worthy of being called the capital of the Christian world. In 1453 the Pope commissioned the rebuilding of the Aqua Vergine, an historic Roman aqueduct which had carried fresh drinking water into the city from eight miles away. The historical Roman tradition of marking the arrival point of an aqueduct with an magnificent celebratory fountain, also known as a mostra, was restored by Nicholas V. The Trevi Fountain now occupies the space formerly filled with a wall fountain crafted by Leon Battista Albert, an architect commissioned by the Pope. The aqueduct he had refurbished included modifications and extensions which eventually allowed it to supply water to the Trevi Fountain as well as the famed baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and the Piazza Navona.

Water Transport Solutions in Historic Rome

Water Transport Solutions in Historic Rome With the building of the 1st raised aqueduct in Rome, the Aqua Anio Vetus in 273 BC, individuals who lived on the city’s hillsides no longer had to rely entirely on naturally-occurring spring water for their demands. If inhabitants living at higher elevations did not have access to springs or the aqueduct, they’d have to depend on the remaining existing solutions of the time, cisterns that accumulated rainwater from the sky and subterranean wells that received the water from below ground. Starting in the sixteenth century, a brand new method was introduced, using Acqua Vergine’s subterranean portions to supply water to Pincian Hill. Water Transport Solutions Historic Rome 0655262432835708361.jpg

Water Transport Solutions Historic Rome 0655262432835708361.jpg

Pozzi, or manholes, were constructed at standard stretches along the aqueduct’s channel. Even though they were initially planned to make it possible to support the aqueduct, Cardinal Marcello Crescenzi started out using the manholes to gather water from the channel, opening when he acquired the property in 1543. The cistern he had built to obtain rainwater wasn’t sufficient to meet his water demands. Thankfully, the aqueduct sat just below his property, and he had a shaft established to give him access.

The Original Water Fountains

The Original Water Fountains The water from rivers and other sources was initially delivered to the occupants of nearby towns and cities via water fountains, whose design was largely practical, not artistic. Gravity was the power supply of water fountains up until the close of the 19th century, using the forceful power of water traveling down hill from a spring or creek to squeeze the water through spigots or other outlets. Inspiring and impressive, prominent water fountains have been designed as monuments in many civilizations. When you enjoy a fountain nowadays, that is definitely not what the very first water fountains looked like. A stone basin, crafted from rock, was the very first fountain, used for holding water for drinking and ceremonial purposes. Stone basins are believed to have been first used around 2,000 BC. The force of gravity was the power source that operated the oldest water fountains. Drinking water was supplied by public fountains, long before fountains became elaborate public statues, as beautiful as they are practical. Creatures, Gods, and Spiritual figures dominated the initial ornate Roman fountains, starting to appear in about 6 BC. The City of Rome had an elaborate system of aqueducts that provided the water for the many fountains that were located throughout the city.