Contemporary Garden Decoration: Fountains and their Beginnings
Contemporary Garden Decoration: Fountains and their Beginnings
The primary purpose of a fountain was originally strictly functional. Inhabitants of urban areas, townships and small towns used them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash up, which meant that fountains needed to be connected to nearby aqueduct or spring. Used until the 19th century, in order for fountains to flow or shoot up into the air, their source of water such as reservoirs or aqueducts, had to be higher than the water fountain in order to benefit from the power of gravity. Acting as an element of adornment and celebration, fountains also provided clean, fresh drinking water. Roman fountains usually depicted images of animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks. 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 demonstrate his superiority 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 key source of water by the end of the 19th century thereby limiting urban fountains to mere decorative elements. Gravity was substituted by mechanical pumps in order to enable fountains to bring in clean water and allow for beautiful water displays.
Modern-day fountains serve mostly as decoration for public spaces, to honor individuals or events, and enhance entertainment and recreational activities.
The Early Society: Garden Fountains
The Early Society: Garden Fountains On the Greek island of Crete, digs have discovered channels of several sorts. These provided water and removed it, including water from waste and deluges. Rock and clay were the substances of choice for these conduits.