Bernini's Early Showpieces

Bernini's Early Showpieces The Barcaccia, a stunning water fountain built at the base of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna, was Bernini's earliest fountain. This area continues to be filled with Roman locals and visitors who enjoy exchanging gossip or going over the day's news. The streets surrounding his water fountain have come to be one of the city’s most stylish meeting places, something which would certainly have pleased Bernini himself. In around 1630, Pope Urbano VIII helped Bernini launch his professional life with the construction of his very first water fountain. A large ship 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. In 1665 Bernini journeyed to France, in what was to be his sole prolonged absence from Italy.

Water Features Recorded by History

Water Features Recorded by History Towns and villages relied on functional water fountains to funnel water for cooking, bathing, and cleaning from nearby sources like ponds, channels, or creeks. To produce water flow through a fountain until the end of the 1800’s, and create a jet of water, demanded gravity and a water source such as a creek or lake, located higher than the fountain. The appeal and wonder of fountains make them ideal for historical memorials. Crude in style, the 1st water fountains didn't appear much like present fountains. Uncomplicated stone basins created from local stone were the original fountains, used for religious ceremonies and drinking water. The earliest stone basins are believed to be from around 2000 B.C.. The spraying of water appearing from small jets was pushed by gravity, the only power source designers had in those days. These original fountains were designed to be functional, often situated along aqueducts, creeks and waterways to furnish drinking water. Fountains with decorative Gods, mythological monsters, and animals began to show up in Rome in about 6 BC, made from natural stone and bronze. A well-engineered collection of reservoirs and aqueducts kept Rome's public fountains supplied with fresh water.

The Dispersion of Fountain Design Innovation

The Dispersion of Fountain Design Innovation Throughout the European countries, the principal means of spreading useful hydraulic facts and fountain design ideas were the published pamphlets and illustrated publications of the day, which contributed to the development of scientific technology. An unnamed French water fountain designer became an globally celebrated hydraulic innovator in the late 1500's. By creating landscapes and grottoes with built-in and amazing water features, he started off his career in Italy by receiving Royal commissions in Brussels, London and Germany. The text, “The Principles of Moving Forces,” penned towards the end of his lifetime in France, turned into the fundamental writing on hydraulic mechanics and engineering. Replacing key hydraulic discoveries of classical antiquity, the publication also details modern hydraulic technologies. Archimedes, the developer of the water screw, had his work showcased and these integrated a mechanical way to move water. A pair of hidden vessels heated up by sunlight in an area adjacent to the decorative fountain were found in an illustration. The hot liquid expands and then ascends and shuts the water lines consequently activating the fountain. The book furthermore covers garden ponds, water wheels, water feature creations.