Bernini: The Genius Behind Italy's Most Impressive Fountains
Bernini: The Genius Behind Italy's Most Impressive Fountains The Barcaccia, Bernini's first fountain, is a magnificent chef d'oeuvre built at the base of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. This area is still filled with Roman locals and tourists who enjoy exchanging gossip or going over the day's news. The streets neighboring his fountain have come to be one of the city’s most stylish meeting places, something which would certainly have pleased Bernini himself. In about 1630, the great master built the very first fountain of his career at the behest of Pope Ubano VIII. People can now see the fountain as an illustration of a great ship slowly sinking into the Mediterranean. The great flooding of the Tevere that blanketed the whole region with water in the 16th was commemorated by this momentous fountain as recorded by reports dating back to this period. Absenting himself from Italy only once in his life for a prolonged time period, in 1665 Bernini voyaged to France.
Original Water Supply Techniques in Rome
Original Water Supply Techniques in Rome
Rome’s 1st raised aqueduct, Aqua Anio Vetus, was built in 273 BC; prior to that, people residing at higher elevations had to depend on natural streams for their water. Outside of these aqueducts and springs, wells and rainwater-collecting cisterns were the only technologies readily available at the time to supply water to areas of higher elevation. In the very early 16th century, the city began to use the water that flowed below the ground through Acqua Vergine to deliver drinking water to Pincian Hill. As originally constructed, the aqueduct was provided along the length of its channel with pozzi (manholes) constructed at regular intervals. Whilst these manholes were created to make it less difficult to sustain the aqueduct, it was also possible to use buckets to extract water from the channel, which was exercised by Cardinal Marcello Crescenzi from the time he purchased the property in 1543 to his death in 1552. Even though the cardinal also had a cistern to accumulate rainwater, it couldn't supply a sufficient amount of water. To provide himself with a more streamlined means to obtain water, he had one of the manholes exposed, offering him access to the aqueduct below his property.
Keep Your Large Garden Fountains Clean
Keep Your Large Garden Fountains Clean Adequate care and regular cleaning are important to the longevity of water fountains. It is easy for foreign items to find their way into outside fountains, so keeping it clean is important. Additionally, anywhere light from the sun mixes with still water, algae can appear. Either sea salt, hydrogen peroxide, or vinegar can be mixed into the water to prevent this problem. Bleach can also be dissolved into the water, but this is not an ideal option because it can sicken birds or other animals.Every three-four months, garden fountains should go through a good cleaning. Before you can start washing it you should empty out all of the water. Next use mild soap and a soft sponge to clean inside the reservoir. If there is delicate artwork, you might need to use a toothbrush for those hard-to-reach areas. Make sure all the soap is completely washed off.
It is highly advised taking the pump apart to better clean the inside and get rid of any plankton or calcium. To make it less strenuous, soak it in vinegar for a while before cleaning.
Build-up can be a big headache, so use mineral or rain water over tap water, when possible, to prevent this dilemma.
One final recommendation for keeping your fountain in top working condition is to check the water level every day and make sure it is full. Allowing the water to drop below the pump’s intake level, can cause major damage and even make the pump burn out - an undesired outcome!