Water Transport Strategies in Ancient Rome

Water Transport Strategies in Ancient Rome Aqua Anio Vetus, the first raised aqueduct built in Rome, began providing the men and women living in the hills with water in 273 BC, even though they had counted on natural springs up till then. Water Transport Strategies Ancient Rome 26285613738.jpg

Water Transport Strategies Ancient Rome 26285613738.jpg

When aqueducts or springs weren’t easily accessible, people dwelling at raised elevations turned to water pulled from underground or rainwater, which was made available by wells and cisterns. From the early sixteenth century, water was routed to Pincian Hill through the subterranean channel of Acqua Vergine. Pozzi, or manholes, were engineered at standard intervals along the aqueduct’s channel. Even though they were primarily developed to make it possible to service the aqueduct, Cardinal Marcello Crescenzi began using the manholes to collect water from the channel, commencing when he obtained the property in 1543. He didn’t get sufficient water from the cistern that he had established on his property to collect rainwater. To provide himself with a much more practical means to obtain water, he had one of the manholes exposed, providing him access to the aqueduct below his residence.

The Hellenic Republic: Cultural Statuary

The Hellenic Republic: Cultural Statuary Sculptors garnished the lavish columns and archways with renderings of the gods until the time came to a close and more Greeks had begun to think of their theology as superstitious rather than sacred; at that time, it grew to be more common for sculptors be paid to depict ordinary people as well. Hellenic Republic: Cultural Statuary 60546568460124.jpg

Hellenic Republic: Cultural Statuary 60546568460124.jpg

Rich individuals would occasionally commission a rendering of their forefathers for their large familial tombs; portraiture also became common and would be appropriated by the Romans upon their acquisition of Greek civilization. During the years of The Greek Classical period, a time of visual progress, the use of sculpture and many other art forms transformed, so it is erroneous to say that the arts served merely one purpose. Greek sculpture is probably enticing to us today because it was an avant-garde experiment in the ancient world, so it does not matter whether or not its original purpose was religious zeal or artistic pleasure.

The Magificent First Masterpieces by Bernini

Magificent First Masterpieces Bernini 596462522997184.jpg

Bernini's earliest fountain, named Barcaccia, is a breath taking work of art seen at the bottom of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. To this day, this area is flooded with Roman locals and tourists alike who enjoy debate and each other's company. Today, the city streets around Bernini's water fountain are a trendy place where people go to meet, something which the artist would have been pleased to learn. Dating back to around 1630, Pope Urbano VIII commissioned what was to be the earliest fountain of the master's career. Illustrated in the fountain's design is a great ship slowly sinking into the Mediterranean Sea. The great flooding of the Tevere that covered the whole region with water in the 16th was commemorated by this momentous fountain as recorded by reports dating back to this time. In 1665 Bernini traveled to France, in what was to be his sole prolonged absence from Italy.