The First Modern Outdoor Wall Fountains

The First Modern Outdoor Wall Fountains Himself a highly educated man, Pope Nicholas V headed the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 till 1455 and was responsible for the translation of hundreds of ancient documents from their original Greek into Latin. It was imperative for him to beautify the city of Rome to make it worthy of being known as the capital of the Christian world. Restoration of the Acqua Vergine, a ruined Roman aqueduct which had carried clean drinking water into the city from eight miles away, began in 1453 at the bidding of the Pope. The ancient 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 Trevi Fountain now occupies the space formerly filled with a wall fountain built by Leon Battista Albert, an architect commissioned by the Pope. The aqueduct he had reconditioned included modifications and extensions which eventually enabled it to supply water to the Trevi Fountain as well as the famed baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and the Piazza Navona.

Attributes of Outdoor Statuary in Archaic Greece

Attributes Outdoor Statuary Archaic Greece 8209712041839726.jpg

Attributes of Outdoor Statuary in Archaic Greece The Archaic Greeks built the first freestanding statuary, an impressive achievement as most sculptures up until then had been reliefs cut into walls and pillars. For the most part the statues, or kouros figures, were of adolescent and attractive male or female (kore) Greeks. The kouroi, viewed by the Greeks to exemplify beauty, had one foot stretched out of a rigid forward-facing pose and the male statues were always undressed, with a compelling, strong physique. The kouroi started to be life-sized starting in 650 BC. The Archaic period was turbulent for the Greeks as they evolved into more polished forms of government and art, and obtained more data about the peoples and civilizations outside of Greece. The Arcadian battles, the Spartan penetration of Samos, and other wars between city-states are instances of the types of clashes that occurred commonly, which is consistent with other times of historical change.

Bernini's Earliest Showpieces

Bernini's Earliest Showpieces The Barcaccia, a stunning fountain built at the base of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna, was Bernini's earliest water fountain. Roman residents and site seers who appreciate conversation as well as being the company of others still flood this spot. The streets surrounding his water fountain have come to be one of the city’s most trendy gathering places, something which would certainly have pleased Bernini himself. In about 1630, the great master designed the very first water fountain of his career at the behest of Pope Ubano VIII. A large boat slowly sinking into the Mediterranean is the fountain's main theme. 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 what became his sole extended absence from Italy, Bernini {journeyed | traveled] to France in 1665.