A Short History of the Early Water Garden Fountains
A Short History of the Early Water Garden Fountains Villages and communities relied on functional water fountains to conduct water for cooking, washing, and cleaning from nearby sources like ponds, streams, or springs. To generate water flow through a fountain until the end of the 1800’s, and create a jet of water, mandated gravity and a water source such as a spring or lake, located higher than the fountain. The appeal and spectacle of fountains make them perfect for traditional memorials. Simple in design, the first water fountains did not look much like modern fountains. Simple stone basins crafted from local rock were the first fountains, used for religious ceremonies and drinking water. 2000 B.C. is when the earliest known stone fountain basins were actually used. The earliest civilizations that utilized fountains relied on gravity to push water through spigots. Drinking water was supplied by public fountains, long before fountains became ornate public monuments, as striking as they are practical. The people of Rome began constructing elaborate fountains in 6 BC, most of which were bronze or stone masks of animals and mythological representations. The people of Rome had an elaborate system of aqueducts that provided the water for the many fountains that were located throughout the community.Contemporary Garden Decor: Fountains and their Beginnings
Contemporary Garden Decor: Fountains and their Beginnings A fountain, an amazing piece of engineering, not only supplies drinking water as it pours into a basin, it can also propel water high into the air for a noteworthy effect.
Pure functionality was the original purpose of fountains. Inhabitants of cities, townships and small towns used them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash, which meant that fountains had to be linked to nearby aqueduct or spring. Up until the 19th century, fountains had to be higher and closer to a water supply, such as aqueducts and reservoirs, in order to benefit from gravity which fed the fountains. Fountains were not only used as a water source for drinking water, but also to decorate homes and celebrate the designer who created it. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often times used by Romans to beautify their fountains. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden designers included fountains in their designs to mimic the gardens of paradise. The fountains seen in the Gardens of Versailles were intended to show the power over nature held by King Louis XIV of France. Seventeen and 18 century Popes sought to laud their positions by adding beautiful baroque-style fountains at the point where restored Roman aqueducts arrived into the city.
Indoor plumbing became the key source of water by the end of the 19th century thereby restricting urban fountains to mere decorative elements. The introduction of unique water effects and the recycling of water were 2 things made possible by swapping gravity with mechanical pumps.
Modern fountains are used to adorn community spaces, honor individuals or events, and enrich recreational and entertainment events.