Where did Garden Water Fountains Originate from?
Where did Garden Water Fountains Originate from? A fountain, an incredible piece of engineering, not only supplies drinking water as it pours into a basin, it can also launch water high into the air for a noteworthy effect.From the beginning, outdoor fountains were simply there to serve as functional elements. Water fountains were connected to a spring or aqueduct to supply drinkable water as well as bathing water for cities, townships and villages. Until the late nineteenth, century most water fountains functioned using the force of gravity to allow water to flow or jet into the air, therefore, they needed a source of water such as a reservoir or aqueduct located higher than the fountain. Fountains were an excellent source of water, and also served to adorn living areas and memorialize the designer.
Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often used by Romans to beautify their fountains. To illustrate the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages added fountains to their designs. To demonstrate his prominence 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.
Since indoor plumbing became the norm of the day for fresh, drinking water, by the end of the 19th century urban fountains were no longer needed for this purpose and they became purely ornamental. Gravity was substituted by mechanical pumps in order to permit fountains to bring in clean water and allow for beautiful water displays.
Modern fountains are used to embellish public spaces, honor individuals or events, and enrich recreational and entertainment events.
The Dispersion of Fountain Design Technology
The Dispersion of Fountain Design Technology Throughout the European countries, the primary means of spreading useful hydraulic understanding and fountain design ideas were the published pamphlets and illustrated books of the day, which added to the advancement of scientific innovation. A globally recognized leader in hydraulics in the later part of the 1500's was a French fountain designer, whose name has been lost to history. His competence in creating gardens and grottoes with built-in and ingenious water features began in Italy and with mandates in Brussels, London and Germany. In France, near the end of his life, he penned “The Principle of Moving Forces”, a publication which turned into the essential text on hydraulic technology and engineering. Describing contemporary hydraulic systems, the book furthermore modernized key hydraulic advancements of classical antiquity. As a mechanical method to push water, Archimedes invented the water screw, fundamental among key hydraulic breakthroughs. Sunlight warming water in a couple of vessels hidden in a room next to an beautiful fountain was displayed in one illustration. The end result: the water feature is triggered by the heated water expanding and rising up the conduits. Pumps, water wheels, water features and garden pond concepts are documented in the book.