The Fountains
The Fountains
As originally conceived, water fountains were crafted to be functional, guiding water from creeks or reservoirs to the residents of towns and settlements, where the water could be utilized for cooking, cleaning, and drinking. In the years before electrical power, the spray of fountains was powered by gravity alone, usually using an aqueduct or water resource located far away in the nearby hills. Inspiring and impressive, prominent water fountains have been constructed as memorials in most societies. If you saw the very first fountains, you probably would not recognize them as fountains. Designed for drinking water and ceremonial reasons, the 1st fountains were very simple carved stone basins. Rock basins are thought to have been 1st made use of around 2000 BC. Gravity was the power source that controlled the oldest water fountains. These ancient fountains were designed to be functional, commonly situated along reservoirs, creeks and waterways to provide drinking water. Wildlife, Gods, and religious figures dominated the very early decorative Roman fountains, beginning to appear in about 6 BC. Water for the public fountains of Rome was brought to the city via a complicated system of water aqueducts.
Modern Garden Decor: Fountains and their Roots
Modern Garden Decor: Fountains and their Roots 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 role of fountains. Inhabitants of urban areas, townships and small towns used them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash up, which meant that fountains needed to be connected to nearby aqueduct or spring. Used until the 19th century, in order for fountains to flow or shoot up into the air, their source of water such as reservoirs or aqueducts, had to be higher than the water fountain in order to benefit from the power of gravity. Fountains were an excellent source of water, and also served to decorate living areas and memorialize the designer. Roman fountains often depicted images of animals or heroes made of metal or stone masks. To replicate the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages introduced fountains to their designs.
The fountains found in the Gardens of Versailles were meant to show the power over nature held by King Louis XIV of France. 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 arrived in the city of Rome
Since indoor plumbing became the norm of the day for fresh, drinking water, by the end of the 19th century urban fountains were no longer needed for this purpose and they became purely ornamental. The introduction of special water effects and the recycling of water were 2 things made possible by swapping gravity with mechanical pumps.
Nowadays, fountains adorn public areas and are used to honor individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.