Where did Large Garden Fountains Come From?
Where did Large Garden Fountains Come From? The incredible architecture of a fountain allows it to provide clean water or shoot water high into air for dramatic effect and it can also serve as an excellent design feature to complement your home.The central purpose of a fountain was originally strictly practical.
Inhabitants of cities, townships and small towns utilized them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash, which meant that fountains needed to be linked to nearby aqueduct or spring. Up until the nineteenth, fountains had to be higher 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 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 wildlife and heroes were commonly seen on Roman fountains. To replicate the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages added fountains to their designs. King Louis XIV of France wanted to illustrate his dominion over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. To mark the entrance of the restored Roman aqueducts, the Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries commissioned the building of baroque style fountains in the spot where the aqueducts entered the city of Rome
The end of the nineteenth century saw the increase in usage of indoor plumbing to provide drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to purely decorative elements. Gravity was substituted by mechanical pumps in order to permit fountains to bring in clean water and allow for amazing water displays.
These days, fountains decorate public areas and are used to pay tribute to individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.
Bernini's Early Masterpieces
Bernini's Early Masterpieces Bernini's earliest water fountain, named Barcaccia, is a masterful work of art seen at the foot of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. To this day, this spot is flooded with Roman locals and travelers alike who enjoy debate and each other's company. One of the city’s most fashionable gathering spots are the streets surrounding Bernini's fountain, which would certainly have brought a smile to the great Bernini.
In around 1630, Pope Urbano VIII helped Bernini start off his career with the construction of his first fountain. People can now see the fountain as a depiction of a great ship slowly sinking into the Mediterranean. Period reports dating back to the 16th century indicate that the fountain was built as a memorial to those who lost their lives in the great flooding of the Tevere. Absenting himself from Italy only once in his life for a long-lasting time period, in 1665 Bernini voyaged to France.