Inventors of the First Garden Fountains
Inventors of the First Garden Fountains Commonly serving as architects, sculptors, artists, engineers and cultivated scholars, all in one, fountain designers were multi-talented individuals from the 16th to the late 18th century. Leonardo da Vinci, a Renaissance artist, was renowned as a imaginative intellect, inventor and scientific master. With his tremendous fascination concerning the forces of nature, he investigated the attributes and movement of water and systematically documented his observations in his now celebrated notebooks. Early Italian water fountain builders transformed private villa configurations into amazing water showcases complete with symbolic meaning and natural beauty by coupling creativity with hydraulic and horticultural expertise. The magnificence in Tivoli were created by the humanist Pirro Ligorio, who was renowned for his capabilities in archeology, engineering and garden design. Well versed in humanistic subjects and classical scientific texts, some other water feature designers were masterminding the phenomenal water marbles, water properties and water jokes for the countless mansions around Florence.Where did Garden Water Fountains Come From?
Where did Garden Water Fountains Come From?
The incredible construction 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 complete your home. From the onset, outdoor fountains were simply there to serve as functional elements. Water fountains were connected to a spring or aqueduct to provide drinkable water as well as bathing water for cities, townships and villages. Used until the nineteenth century, in order for fountains to flow or shoot up into the air, their origin of water such as reservoirs or aqueducts, had to be higher than the water fountain in order to benefit from gravity. Fountains were not only used 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 times used by Romans to decorate their fountains. Muslims and Moorish landscaping designers of the Middle Ages included fountains to re-create smaller models of the gardens of paradise. King Louis XIV of France wanted to illustrate his dominion over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were glorified with baroque style fountains built to mark the arrival points of Roman aqueducts.
Since indoor plumbing became the standard 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 decorative. Impressive water effects and recycled water were made possible by switching the power of gravity with mechanical pumps.
Modern fountains are used to adorn community spaces, honor individuals or events, and enrich recreational and entertainment events.