From Where Did Water Features Originate?
From Where Did Water Features Originate?
Himself a learned 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. He undertook the beautification of Rome to turn it into the worthy seat of the Christian world. At the behest of the Pope, the Aqua Vergine, a damaged aqueduct which had transported clean drinking water into Rome from eight miles away, was restored starting in 1453. The historical Roman tradition of marking the arrival point of an aqueduct with an magnificent celebratory fountain, also known as a mostra, was restored by Nicholas V. The architect Leon Battista Alberti was directed by the Pope to construct a wall fountain where we now find the Trevi Fountain. The aqueduct he had refurbished included modifications and extensions which eventually enabled it to supply water to the Trevi Fountain as well as the renowned baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and the Piazza Navona.
Bernini: The Genius Behind Italy's Most Impressive Water Fountains
Bernini: The Genius Behind Italy's Most Impressive Water Fountains The Barcaccia, a stunning water fountain constructed at the base of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna, was Bernini's earliest fountain. To this day, you will see Roman locals and vacation goers filling this spot to revel in chit chatter and being among other people.
Today, the city streets around Bernini's water fountain are a trendy place where people go to meet, something which the artist would have been pleased to learn. Dating back to around 1630, Pope Urbano VIII mandated what was to be the earliest fountain of the master's career. People can now see the fountain as a depiction of a commanding ship gradually 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 eye-catching fountain. In what turned out to be his sole prolonged absence from Italy, Bernini {journeyed | traveled] to France in 1665.
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 propel water high into the air for an extraordinary effect.Pure functionality was the original role of fountains. Inhabitants of urban areas, townships and small towns utilized them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash, which meant that fountains needed to be connected to nearby aqueduct or spring. Up until the 19th century, fountains had to be more elevated and closer to a water source, such as aqueducts and reservoirs, in order to benefit from gravity which fed the fountains. Fountains were not only utilized as a water source for drinking water, but also to decorate homes and celebrate the artist who created it. The main materials used by the Romans to create their fountains were bronze or stone masks, mostly depicting animals or heroes. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden designers included fountains in their designs to mimic the gardens of paradise. King Louis XIV of France wanted to illustrate his dominion over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles.
The Romans of the 17th and 18th centuries created baroque decorative fountains to exalt the Popes who commissioned them as well as to mark the location where the restored Roman aqueducts entered the city.
Indoor plumbing became the main source of water by the end of the 19th century thereby restricting urban fountains to mere decorative elements. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity allowed fountains to deliver recycled water into living spaces as well as create special water effects.
Nowadays, fountains adorn public spaces and are used to recognize individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.