The Source of Today's Outdoor Garden Fountains

The Source of Today's Outdoor Garden Fountains The translation of hundreds of classical Greek documents into Latin was commissioned by the scholarly Pope Nicholas V who led the Church in Rome from 1397 till 1455. He undertook the embellishment of Rome to make it into the model capital of the Christian world. At the behest of the Pope, the Aqua Vergine, a ruined aqueduct which had carried clean drinking water into Rome from eight miles away, was restored starting in 1453. Building a mostra, an imposing commemorative fountain built by ancient Romans to memorialize the arrival point of an aqueduct, was a tradition revived by Nicholas V. At the bidding of the Pope, architect Leon Battista Alberti undertook the construction of a wall fountain in the place where we now find the Trevi Fountain. 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.

Early Water Delivery Solutions in Rome

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Early Water Delivery Solutions in Rome Rome’s first raised aqueduct, Aqua Anio Vetus, was built in 273 BC; prior to that, people residing at higher elevations had to depend on local springs for their water. When aqueducts or springs weren’t easily accessible, people dwelling at greater elevations turned to water taken from underground or rainwater, which was made available by wells and cisterns. To deliver water to Pincian Hill in the early 16th century, they applied the new process of redirecting the stream from the Acqua Vergine aqueduct’s underground network. Throughout the time of its original building and construction, pozzi (or manholes) were situated at set intervals alongside the aqueduct’s channel. Although they were originally developed to make it possible to service the aqueduct, Cardinal Marcello Crescenzi started using the manholes to collect water from the channel, opening when he acquired the property in 1543. Even though the cardinal also had a cistern to accumulate rainwater, it didn’t supply sufficient water. To give himself with a much more useful means to obtain water, he had one of the manholes opened up, offering him access to the aqueduct below his residence.

The Father Of Roman Water Fountain Design

The Father Of Roman Water Fountain Design There are countless popular fountains in the city center of Rome. Gian Lorenzo Bernini, one of the greatest sculptors and artists of the 17th century designed, conceived and constructed nearly all of them. He was also a urban architect, in addition to his abilities as a water fountain designer, and traces of his life's work are evident all through the streets of Rome. Father Roman Water Fountain Design 201838185012229597.jpg

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Bernini's father, a renowned Florentine sculptor, mentored his young son, and they ultimately moved to Rome, in order to fully express their art, primarily in the form of public water fountains and water features. An diligent employee, the young Bernini acquired praise and the backing of many popes and important designers. His sculpture was initially his claim to glory. He used his expertise and melded it seamlessly with Roman marble, most notably in the Vatican. Though he was influenced by many, Michelangelo had the most profound effect on him, both personally and professionally.

Anglo Saxon Grounds During the Norman Conquest

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Anglo Saxon Grounds During the Norman Conquest The introduction of the Normans in the later half of the eleventh century substantially modified The Anglo-Saxon ways of living. The Normans were better than the Anglo-Saxons at architecture and horticulture when they came into power. But before focusing on home-life or having the occasion to contemplate domestic architecture or decoration, the Normans had to subjugate an entire society. Most often built upon windy summits, castles were fundamental constructs that allowed their occupants to spend time and space to offensive and defensive strategies, while monasteries were rambling stone buildings frequently added in only the most fecund, broad valleys. The barren fortresses did not provide for the quiet avocation of gardening. Berkeley Castle is perhaps the most unchanged model in existence today of the early Anglo-Norman style of architecture. The keep is said to date from the time of William the Conqueror. A big terrace meant for walking and as a way to stop attackers from mining below the walls runs around the building. One of these terraces, a charming bowling green, is covered grass and flanked by an old yew hedge cut into the form of crude battlements.