Anglo Saxon Landscapes at the Time of the Norman Conquest

Anglo Saxon Landscapes at the Time of the Norman Conquest The introduction of the Normans in the 2nd half of the eleventh century irreparably altered The Anglo-Saxon lifestyle. The Normans were better than the Anglo-Saxons at architecture and horticulture when they came into power. Anglo Saxon Landscapes Time Norman Conquest 758806064407100.jpg

Anglo Saxon Landscapes Time Norman Conquest 758806064407100.jpg

But there was no time for home life, domestic design, and decoration until the Normans had overcome the whole realm. Because of this, castles were cruder constructions than monasteries: Monasteries were frequently significant stone buildings located in the biggest and most fertile valleys, while castles were erected on windy crests where their citizens devoted time and space to projects for offense and defense. The sterile fortresses did not provide for the calm avocation of gardening. The purest example of the early Anglo-Norman style of architecture existent presently is Berkeley Castle. The keep is thought to date from the time of William the Conqueror. A spacious terrace meant for strolling and as a way to stop enemies from mining under the walls runs about the building. One of these terraces, a charming bowling green, is covered grass and flanked by an old yew hedge trimmed into the shape of crude battlements.

Bernini’s Early Italian Water Fountains

Bernini’s Early Italian Water Fountains Bernini’s Early Italian Water Fountains 72896135.jpg

Bernini's earliest water fountain, named Barcaccia, is a masterful work of art found at the bottom of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. Roman locals and site seers who enjoy verbal exchanges as well as being the company of others still go to this spot. One of the city’s most stylish meeting spots are the streets surrounding Bernini's fountain, which would undoubtedly have brought a smile to the great Bernini. In around 1630, Pope Urbano VIII helped Bernini launch his career with the construction of his very first water fountain. A large vessel slowly sinking into the Mediterranean is the fountain's central theme. Period writings dating back to the 16th century show that the fountain was built as a memorial to those who lost their lives in the great flooding of the Tevere. In 1665, France was graced by Bernini's one-and-only prolonged journey outside of Italy.

A Chronicle of Landscape Fountains

Chronicle Landscape Fountains 8991238392016423377.jpg

A Chronicle of Landscape Fountains Hundreds of ancient Greek records were translated into Latin under the auspices of the scholarly Pope Nicholas V, who ruled the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 to 1455. In order to make Rome worthy of being the capital of the Christian world, the Pope resolved to enhance the beauty of the city. At the behest of the Pope, the Aqua Vergine, a ruined aqueduct which had transported clean drinking water into Rome from eight miles away, was renovated 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 architect Leon Battista Alberti was commissioned by the Pope to put up a wall fountain where we now find 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.