The Beginnings of Contemporary Outdoor Wall Fountains
The Beginnings of Contemporary Outdoor Wall Fountains Pope Nicholas V, himself a well educated man, governed the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 to 1455 during which time he commissioned many translations of old classic Greek documents into Latin. It was important for him to embellish the city of Rome to make it worthy of being called the capital of the Christian world. Starting in 1453, the ruined ancient Roman aqueduct known as the Aqua Vergine which had brought fresh drinking water into the city from eight miles away, underwent repair at the behest of the Pope. The ancient Roman tradition of building an imposing commemorative fountain at the point where an aqueduct arrived, also known as a mostra, was restored by Nicholas V. The Trevi Fountain now occupies the area formerly filled with a wall fountain crafted by Leon Battista Albert, an architect commissioned by the Pope. The Trevi Fountain as well as the well-known baroque fountains located in the Piazza del Popolo and the Piazza Navona were eventually supplied with water from the altered aqueduct he had rebuilt.
Where did Garden Water Fountains Originate from?
Where did Garden Water Fountains Originate from? The amazing or ornamental effect of a fountain is just one of the purposes it fulfills, as well as supplying drinking water and adding a decorative touch to your property.The main purpose of a fountain was originally strictly practical. Residents of urban areas, townships and small towns used them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash, which meant that fountains had to be connected to nearby aqueduct or spring. Up to the late 19th century, water fountains had to be near an aqueduct or reservoir and higher than the fountain so that gravity could make the water flow down or jet high into the air. Fountains were not only utilized as a water source for drinking water, but also to decorate homes and celebrate the designer who created it. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often utilized by Romans to beautify their fountains.
Muslims and Moorish landscaping designers of the Middle Ages included fountains to re-create smaller versions of the gardens of paradise. The fountains seen in the Gardens of Versailles were supposed to show the power over nature held by King Louis XIV of France. Seventeen and 18 century Popes sought to laud their positions by including beautiful baroque-style fountains at the point where restored Roman aqueducts arrived into the city.
Urban fountains made at the end of the nineteenth served only as decorative and celebratory adornments since indoor plumbing provided the necessary drinking water. Gravity was replaced by mechanical pumps in order to permit fountains to bring in clean water and allow for beautiful water displays.
Nowadays, fountains decorate public spaces and are used to honor individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.