Bernini: The Master of Italy's Greatest Water Fountains
Bernini: The Master of Italy's Greatest Water Fountains The Barcaccia, Bernini's very first fountain, is a magnificent chef d'oeuvre built at the bottom of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. Roman residents and site seers who enjoy verbal exchanges as well as being the company of others still go to this spot. One of the city’s most fashionable gathering spots are the streets surrounding Bernini's fountain, which would undoubtedly have brought a smile to the great Bernini.
The master's very first water fountain of his career was built at around 1630 at the request of Pope Urbano VIII. A massive vessel slowly sinking into the Mediterranean is the fountain's main theme. The great 16th century flooding of the Tevere, which left the entire region inundated with water, was memorialized by the fountain according to writings from the period. Absenting himself from Italy only once in his life for a prolonged time period, in 1665 Bernini voyaged to France.
The Source of Modern Garden Fountains
The Source of Modern Garden Fountains
Hundreds of ancient Greek documents were translated into Latin under the auspices of the scholarly Pope Nicholas V, who ruled the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 to 1455. He undertook the beautification of Rome to turn it into the model seat of the Christian world. In 1453 the Pope commissioned the reconstruction of the Aqua Vergine, an historic Roman aqueduct which had carried clean drinking water into the city from eight miles away. A mostra, a monumental celebratory fountain constructed by ancient Romans to mark the point of arrival of an aqueduct, was a tradition which was restored by Nicholas V. The Trevi Fountain now occupies the area previously filled with a wall fountain crafted by Leon Battista Albert, an architect employed by the Pope. The water which eventually provided the Trevi Fountain as well as the renown baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona came from the modified aqueduct which he had renovated.
Your Outdoor Living Area: A Great Spot for a Wall Fountain
Your Outdoor Living Area: A Great Spot for a Wall Fountain A good way to enhance the appearance of your outdoor living area is to add a wall water feature or an exterior garden fountain to your landscaping or garden layout.
Contemporary artists and fountain builders alike use historical fountains and water features to shape their creations. You can also reinforce the connection to the past by including one of these to your home's interior design. Among the many properties of these beautiful garden fountains is the water and moisture they release into the air which attracts birds and other wild life as well as helps to balance the ecosystem. For instance, irritating flying insects are usually deterred by the birds attracted to the fountain or birdbath. Spouting or cascading fountains are not the best choice for a small backyard since they need a great deal of space. Two possibilities to pick from include either a freestanding type with an even back set against a fence or wall in your garden, or a wall-mounted, self-contained type which is suspended on a wall. Both a fountain mask placed on the existing wall as well as a basin located at the bottom to collect the water are necessary if you wish to add a fountain. Since the plumbing and masonry work is extensive to complete this type of job, you should employ a professional to do it rather than try to do it alone.