A Chronicle of Wall Fountains
A Chronicle of Wall Fountains The translation of hundreds of classic Greek documents into Latin was commissioned by the scholarly Pope Nicholas V who led the Church in Rome from 1397 until 1455. Embellishing Rome and making it the worthy capital of the Christian world was at the core of his objectives. 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 renovated starting in 1453. The ancient Roman custom of marking the arrival point of an aqueduct with an imposing celebratory fountain, also known as a mostra, was restored by Nicholas V. The architect Leon Battista Alberti was commissioned by the Pope to build a wall fountain where we now find the Trevi Fountain. The water which eventually supplied the Trevi Fountain as well as the renown baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona flowed from the modified aqueduct which he had renovated.
Water Transport Solutions in Early Rome
Water Transport Solutions in Early Rome
Rome’s first raised aqueduct, Aqua Anio Vetus, was built in 273 BC; prior to that, residents living at higher elevations had to depend on local creeks for their water. Outside of these aqueducts and springs, wells and rainwater-collecting cisterns were the lone technologies available at the time to supply water to areas of greater elevation. From the beginning of the sixteenth century, water was routed to Pincian Hill through the underground channel of Acqua Vergine. The aqueduct’s channel was made reachable by pozzi, or manholes, that were added along its length when it was initially engineered. While these manholes were manufactured to make it simpler and easier to protect the aqueduct, it was also feasible to use buckets to pull water from the channel, which was employed by Cardinal Marcello Crescenzi from the time he obtained the property in 1543 to his passing in 1552. The cistern he had constructed to collect rainwater wasn’t satisfactory to meet his water demands. Through an orifice to the aqueduct that ran under his property, he was able to meet his water needs.
Where did Large Garden Fountains Originate from?
Where did Large Garden Fountains Originate from? 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 an extraordinary effect.From the beginning, outdoor fountains were soley meant to serve as functional elements. Cities, towns and villages made use of nearby aqueducts or springs to supply them with drinking water as well as water where they could bathe or wash. Up to the late nineteenth century, water fountains had to be near an aqueduct or reservoir and more elevated than the fountain so that gravity could make the water flow down or jet high into the air. Fountains were an excellent source of water, and also served to adorn living areas and celebrate the artist. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often used by Romans to beautify their fountains. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden planners included fountains to create mini depictions of the gardens of paradise.
To show his prominence over nature, French King Louis XIV included fountains in the Garden of Versailles. To mark the entryway 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
The end of the nineteenth 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.
Nowadays, fountains decorate public areas and are used to pay tribute to individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.
A Small Garden Area? You Can Have a Water Feature too!
A Small Garden Area? You Can Have a Water Feature too!
Since water is reflective, it has the effect of making a smaller spot appear larger than it is. Augmenting the reflective aspects of a fountain or water feature are possible by using dark materials. Night time is a great occasion to draw attention to the illuminated, colored underwater lights in your new water feature. Eco-lights powered by sunlight can be used during the day whereas you can use lights to jazz up your garden at night. The calming effect created by these is oftentimes used in nature therapies to alleviate anxiety and stress. Water just mixes into the greenery in your backyard. People will be centered on the pond, artificial river or fountain in your garden. Small verandas or large gardens is the perfect place to install a water element. The atmosphere can be significantly changed by placing it in the best place and using the proper accessories.