Bernini's Earliest Masterpieces
Bernini's Earliest Masterpieces The Barcaccia, a stunning fountain built at the base of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna, was Bernini's earliest fountain. To this day, this spot is filled with Roman locals and tourists alike who enjoy conversation and each other's company. The streets neighboring his fountain have come to be one of the city’s most fashionable meeting places, something which would certainly have pleased Bernini himself. Dating back to around 1630, Pope Urbano VIII commissioned what was to be the very first water fountain of the artist's career. A massive boat slowly sinking into the Mediterranean is the fountain's main theme. The great flooding of the Tevere that blanketed the whole region with water in the 16th was memorialized by this momentous fountain as recorded by documents dating back to this time. In 1665, France was graced by Bernini's only prolonged voyage outside of Italy.The First Contemporary Outdoor Wall Fountains
The First Contemporary Outdoor Wall Fountains Pope Nicholas V, himself a learned man, governed the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 to 1455 during which time he commissioned many translations of old classic Greek documents into Latin. It was imperative for him to embellish the city of Rome to make it worthy of being known as the capital of the Christian world. Restoration of the Acqua Vergine, a ruined Roman aqueduct which had transported fresh drinking water into the city from eight miles away, began in 1453 at the bidding of the Pope. A mostra, a monumental dedicatory fountain built by ancient Romans to mark the point of entry of an aqueduct, was a practice which was revived by Nicholas V. The Trevi Fountain now occupies the space formerly filled with a wall fountain crafted by Leon Battista Albert, an architect employed by the Pope. Adjustments and extensions, included in the repaired aqueduct, eventually provided the Trevi Fountain and the well-known baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona with the necessary water supply.
Where did Landscape Fountains Come From?
Where did Landscape Fountains Come From? The dramatic or ornamental effect of a fountain is just one of the purposes it fulfills, in addition to delivering drinking water and adding a decorative touch to your property. From the beginning, outdoor fountains were soley there to serve as functional elements. Cities, towns and villages made use of nearby aqueducts or springs to provide them with potable water as well as water where they could bathe or wash. Used until the nineteenth century, in order for fountains to flow or shoot up into the air, their source of water such as reservoirs or aqueducts, had to be higher than the water fountain in order to benefit from the power of gravity. Fountains were an excellent source of water, and also served to adorn living areas and celebrate the designer. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often utilized by Romans to beautify their fountains. Muslims and Moorish garden designers of the Middle Ages included fountains to re-create smaller versions of the gardens of paradise. King Louis XIV of France wanted to illustrate his dominion over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were glorified with baroque style fountains made to mark the place of entry of Roman aqueducts.
Indoor plumbing became the main source of water by the end of the 19th century thereby limiting urban fountains to mere decorative elements. Amazing water effects and recycled water were made possible by switching the force of gravity with mechanical pumps.
Nowadays, fountains adorn public areas and are used to honor individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.