A Short History of Early Garden Water Fountains
A Short History of Early Garden Water Fountains As originally developed, fountains were crafted to be practical, directing water from creeks or aqueducts to the citizens of cities and settlements, where the water could be utilized for cooking food, washing, and drinking. In the years before electrical power, the spray of fountains was powered by gravity alone, often using an aqueduct or water supply located far away in the surrounding hills. Fountains throughout history have been developed as monuments, impressing local citizens and tourists alike. The contemporary fountains of modern times bear little similarity to the first water fountains. Created for drinking water and ceremonial functions, the very first fountains were basic carved stone basins. Pure stone basins as fountains have been discovered from 2,000 B.C.. The first fountains used in ancient civilizations depended on gravity to manipulate the flow of water through the fountain. Drinking water was supplied by public fountains, long before fountains became elaborate public monuments, as beautiful as they are functional. Fountains with elaborate decoration started to appear in Rome in approx. 6 B.C., normally gods and creatures, made with natural stone or copper-base alloy. The people of Rome had an elaborate system of aqueducts that supplied the water for the countless fountains that were placed throughout the city.
Where did Garden Water Fountains Come From?
Where did Garden Water Fountains Come From? A water fountain is an architectural piece that pours water into a basin or jets it high into the air in order to provide drinkable water, as well as for decorative purposes.The primary purpose of a fountain was originally strictly functional. People in cities, towns and villages received their drinking water, as well as water to bathe and wash, from aqueducts or springs nearby. Until the late 19th, century most water fountains functioned using 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.
Artists thought of fountains as wonderful additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to provide clean water and honor the designer responsible for creating it. Bronze or stone masks of wildlife and heroes were commonly seen on Roman fountains. To replicate the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages added fountains to their designs. The fountains found in the Gardens of Versailles were meant to show the power over nature held by King Louis XIV of France. The Romans of the 17th and 18th centuries manufactured 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.
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.
Modern-day fountains function mostly as decoration for public spaces, to honor individuals or events, and enhance entertainment and recreational events.