Bernini’s Very First Italian Water Fountains
Bernini’s Very First Italian Water Fountains The Barcaccia, a beautiful fountain constructed at the base of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna, was Bernini's earliest water fountain. This area is still filled with Roman locals and visitors who enjoy exchanging gossip or going over the day's news. The streets neighboring his fountain have come to be one of the city’s most fashionable meeting places, something which would certainly have pleased Bernini himself. Dating back to around 1630, Pope Urbano VIII commissioned what was to be the earliest water fountain of the master's career. People can now see the fountain as a depiction of a great ship slowly sinking into the Mediterranean Sea.
According to 16th century documents, a great flood of the Tevere covered the entire area in water, an event which was memorialized by the tremendous fountain. In 1665, France was graced by Bernini's only lengthy journey outside of Italy.
Where did Fountains Come From?
Where did Fountains Come From? 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 practicality was the original purpose of fountains. Water fountains were connected to a spring or aqueduct to provide potable water as well as bathing water for cities, townships and villages. Used until the nineteenth century, in order for fountains to flow or shoot up into the air, their origin 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 not only used as a water source for drinking water, but also to adorn homes and celebrate the artist who created it. Bronze or stone masks of animals and heroes were frequently seen on Roman fountains. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden planners incorporated fountains to create mini depictions of the gardens of paradise. The fountains found in the Gardens of Versailles were meant to show the power over nature held by King Louis XIV of France. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were extolled with baroque style fountains made to mark the arrival points of Roman aqueducts.
Since indoor plumbing became the norm of the day for clean, 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 unique water effects and the recycling of water were 2 things made possible by replacing gravity with mechanical pumps.
Modern-day fountains function mostly as decoration for community spaces, to honor individuals or events, and compliment entertainment and recreational gatherings.