Back Story of Outdoor Garden Fountains
Back Story of Outdoor Garden Fountains Hundreds of ancient Greek texts were translated into Latin under the auspices of the scholarly Pope Nicholas V, who led the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 to 1455. Embellishing Rome and making it the worthy capital of the Christian world was at the core of his ambitions. At the bidding of the Pope, the Aqua Vergine, a damaged aqueduct which had transported clean drinking water into Rome from eight miles away, was reconditioned starting in 1453. The historical Roman custom of marking the arrival point of an aqueduct with an magnificent celebratory fountain, also known as a mostra, was restored by Nicholas V. The present-day location of the Trevi Fountain was previously occupied by a wall fountain commissioned by the Pope and built by the architect Leon Battista Alberti.
The Trevi Fountain as well as the well-known baroque fountains found in the Piazza del Popolo and the Piazza Navona were eventually supplied with water from the altered aqueduct he had reconstructed.
Where did Large Garden Fountains Begin?
Where did Large Garden Fountains Begin? The incredible construction of a fountain allows it to provide clean water or shoot water high into air for dramatic effect and it can also serve as an excellent design feature to complete your home.Pure functionality was the original purpose of fountains. People in cities, towns and villages received their drinking water, as well as water to bathe and wash, from aqueducts or springs nearby.
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. Fountains were an optimal source of water, and also served to decorate living areas and memorialize the designer. Bronze or stone masks of wildlife and heroes were frequently seen on Roman fountains. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden planners included fountains to create smaller variations of the gardens of paradise. To show 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 construction of baroque style fountains in the spot where the aqueducts arrived in the city of Rome
Indoor plumbing became the main source of water by the end of the 19th century thereby restricting urban fountains to mere decorative elements. Gravity was replaced by mechanical pumps in order to enable fountains to bring in clean water and allow for beautiful water displays.
Nowadays, fountains decorate public areas and are used to pay tribute to individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.
Bernini: The Genius Behind Italy's Most Impressive Fountains
Bernini: The Genius Behind Italy's Most Impressive Fountains Bernini's earliest fountain, named Barcaccia, is a masterful work of art seen at the foot of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. This area continues to be filled with Roman locals and tourists who enjoy exchanging gossip or going over the day's news. One of the city’s most fashionable gathering places are the streets surrounding Bernini's fountain, which would certainly have brought a smile to the great Bernini. Dating back to around 1630, Pope Urbano VIII commissioned what was to be the very first fountain of the master's career.
The fountain’s central theme is based on an enormous ship slowly sinking into the Mediterranean. According to 16th century reports, a great flood of the Tevere covered the entire area in water, an event which was memorialized by the tremendous fountain. In what became his one and only extended absence from Italy, Bernini {journeyed | traveled] to France in 1665.