The Genesis Of Wall Fountains
The Genesis Of Wall Fountains The dramatic or ornamental effect of a fountain is just one of the purposes it fulfills, as well as delivering drinking water and adding a decorative touch to your property.Originally, fountains only served a functional purpose. People in cities, towns and villages received their drinking water, as well as water to bathe and wash, via aqueducts or springs in the vicinity. Up until the nineteenth, fountains had to be more elevated and closer to a water source, such as aqueducts and reservoirs, in order to take advantage of gravity which fed the fountains. Fountains were not only utilized as a water source for drinking water, but also to adorn homes and celebrate the designer who created it. The main components used by the Romans to build their fountains were bronze or stone masks, mostly illustrating animals or heroes. To replicate the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages introduced fountains to their designs. To show his dominance over nature, French King Louis XIV included fountains in the Garden of Versailles. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were extolled with baroque style fountains built to mark the place of entry of Roman aqueducts.
The end of the 19th century saw the increase in usage of indoor plumbing to supply drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to strictly decorative elements. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity enabled fountains to deliver recycled water into living spaces as well as create special water effects.
Modern-day fountains function mostly as decoration for community spaces, to honor individuals or events, and compliment entertainment and recreational gatherings.
Bernini: The Genius Behind Italy's Most Impressive Water Fountains
Bernini: The Genius Behind Italy's Most Impressive Water Fountains One can see Bernini's very first masterpiece, the Barcaccia water fountain, at the foot of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. To this day, this spot is filled with Roman locals and tourists alike who enjoy conversation and each other's company. Today, the city streets around Bernini's fountain are a trendy area where people go to gather, something which the artist would have been pleased to learn. In around 1630, Pope Urbano VIII helped Bernini start off his career with the construction of his very first water fountain. People can now see the fountain as an illustration of a great ship slowly sinking into the Mediterranean Sea. Period writings dating back to the 16th century indicate that the fountain was constructed as a memorial to those who lost their lives in the great flooding of the Tevere. In 1665 Bernini traveled to France, in what was to be his sole prolonged absence from Italy.Original Water Delivery Techniques in Rome
