Bernini’s Very First Italian Water Fountains
Bernini’s Very First Italian Water Fountains Bernini's earliest water fountain, named Barcaccia, is a breath taking work of art seen at the bottom of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. Roman residents and site seers who enjoy verbal exchanges as well as being the company of others still flood this spot. Today, the city streets around Bernini's fountain are a trendy place where people go to meet, something which the artist would have been pleased to learn. In around 1630, Pope Urbano VIII helped Bernini launch his career with the construction of his first fountain. People can now see the fountain as an illustration of a great ship slowly sinking into the Mediterranean. According to 16th century texts, a great flood of the Tevere covered the entire area in water, an event which was commemorated by the tremendous fountain.
In 1665 Bernini traveled to France, in what was to be his sole extended absence from Italy.
The Source of Today's Outdoor Fountains
The Source of Today's Outdoor Fountains Himself a highly educated man, Pope Nicholas V led the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 till 1455 and was responsible for the translation of hundreds of ancient texts from their original Greek into Latin. In order to make Rome worthy of being the capital of the Christian world, the Pope resolved to enhance the beauty of the city. Restoration of the Acqua Vergine, a ruined Roman aqueduct which had transported clean drinking water into the city from eight miles away, began in 1453 at the bidding of the Pope.
A mostra, a monumental dedicatory fountain constructed by ancient Romans to mark the point of entry of an aqueduct, was a custom which was restored by Nicholas V. At the bidding of the Pope, architect Leon Battista Alberti began the construction of a wall fountain in the spot where we now find the Trevi Fountain. Modifications and extensions, included in the repaired aqueduct, eventually provided the Trevi Fountain and the well-known baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona with the necessary water supply.
The Innumerable Choices in Wall Fountains
The Innumerable Choices in Wall Fountains A small patio or a courtyard is a great place to put your wall fountain when you need peace and quiet. You can have one custom-built to fit your specifications even if you have a minimum amount of space. The required components include a spout, a water basin, internal tubing, and a pump regardless of whether it is freestanding or secured. There are any variety of models to choose from including traditional, contemporary, classic, or Asian.Also knownas a floor fountain, a stand-alone wall fountain is normally rather large, and its basin is placed on the ground.
It is possible to integrate a wall-mounted water feature onto an already existent wall or built into a new wall. Integrating this type of water feature into your landscape adds a cohesiveness to the look you want to achieve rather than making it seem as if the fountain was merely added later.
Where did Large Outdoor Fountains Begin?
Where did Large Outdoor Fountains Begin? A fountain, an amazing piece of engineering, not only supplies drinking water as it pours into a basin, it can also propel water high into the air for a noteworthy effect.The central purpose of a fountain was originally strictly functional. Inhabitants of urban areas, townships and small towns utilized 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 to the late 19th century, water fountains had to be near an aqueduct or reservoir and more elevated than the fountain so that gravity could make the water move downwards or jet high into the air.
Artists thought of fountains as amazing additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to supply clean water and honor the artist responsible for creating it. Roman fountains often depicted imagery of animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden planners included fountains to create mini depictions of the gardens of paradise. To demonstrate his dominance over nature, French King Louis XIV included fountains in the Garden of Versailles. To mark the entrance of the restored Roman aqueducts, the Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries commissioned the building of baroque style fountains in the spot where the aqueducts entered the city of Rome
The end of the 19th century saw the increase in usage of indoor plumbing to provide drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to strictly decorative elements. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity enabled fountains to bring recycled water into living spaces as well as create special water effects.
These days, fountains adorn public spaces and are used to recognize individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.