Bernini: The Master of Italy's Most Impressive Fountains
Bernini: The Master of Italy's Most Impressive Fountains
One can see Bernini's very first masterpiece, the Barcaccia fountain, at the base of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. To this day, you will see Roman locals and vacation goers filling this space to revel in chit chatter and being among other people. Bernini would without a doubt have been happy to know that people still flock to what has become one the city's most fashionable areas, that around his amazing fountain. Dating back to around 1630, Pope Urbano VIII commissioned what was to be the very first fountain of the master's career. Illustrated in the fountain's design is a great ship slowly sinking into the Mediterranean Sea. The great 16th century flood of the Tevere, which left the entire region inundated with water, was memorialized by the water fountain according to writings from the period. In what became his one and only prolonged absence from Italy, Bernini {journeyed | traveled] to France in 1665.
Where did Large Outdoor Fountains Begin?
Where did Large Outdoor Fountains Begin? A water fountain is an architectural piece that pours water into a basin or jets it high into the air in order to provide drinking water, as well as for decorative purposes.
The main purpose of a fountain was originally strictly practical. Residents of urban areas, townships and small towns used them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash, which meant that fountains needed to be linked to nearby aqueduct or spring. Up until the nineteenth, fountains had to be higher and closer to a water source, including aqueducts and reservoirs, in order to take advantage of gravity which fed the fountains. Fountains were an optimal source of water, and also served to decorate living areas and memorialize the artist. Bronze or stone masks of animals and heroes were commonly seen on Roman fountains. Muslims and Moorish garden designers of the Middle Ages included fountains to re-create smaller versions of the gardens of paradise. To show his prominence over nature, French King Louis XIV included fountains in the Garden of Versailles. Seventeen and 18 century Popes sought to laud their positions by adding beautiful baroque-style fountains at the point where restored Roman aqueducts arrived into the city.
Since indoor plumbing became the norm of the day for fresh, drinking water, by the end of the 19th century urban fountains were no longer needed for this purpose and they became purely decorative. Impressive water effects and recycled water were made possible by replacing the force of gravity with mechanical pumps.
Modern-day fountains function mostly as decoration for public spaces, to honor individuals or events, and compliment entertainment and recreational activities.
Did You Know How Mechanical Designs And Styles of Water Fountains Became Known?
Did You Know How Mechanical Designs And Styles of Water Fountains Became Known?
The published reports and illustrated publications of the day contributed to the advancements of scientific technology, and were the primary means of spreading practical hydraulic facts and water feature suggestions throughout Europe. An unnamed French water fountain developer came to be an internationally celebrated hydraulic innovator in the later part of the 1500's. By developing landscapes and grottoes with integrated and amazing water features, he started off his profession in Italy by receiving imperial mandates in Brussels, London and Germany. In France, towards the closure of his life, he penned “The Principle of Moving Forces”, a book which became the essential text on hydraulic technology and engineering. Classical antiquity hydraulic breakthroughs were detailed as well as revisions to key classical antiquity hydraulic advancements in the publication. Archimedes, the creator of the water screw, had his work showcased and these integrated a mechanical means to move water. Sunlight warming liquid in a couple of vessels unseen in a room next to an decorative water fountain was presented in one illustration. The hot liquid expands and subsequently ascends and shuts the water pipes thereby activating the fountain. Pumps, water wheels, water attributes and backyard pond styles are mentioned in the text.