Creators of the First Water Fountains

Creators of the First Water Fountains Frequently serving as architects, sculptors, designers, engineers and discerning scholars, all in one, fountain creators were multi-talented people from the 16th to the later part of the 18th century. Exemplifying the Renaissance artist as a inspiring master, Leonardo da Vinci worked as an inventor and scientific guru. He systematically documented his experiences in his now celebrated notebooks, after his enormous curiosity in the forces of nature led him to examine the properties and motion of water. Innovative water displays packed of symbolic meaning and natural beauty changed private villa settings when early Italian water feature creators paired imagination with hydraulic and gardening skill. Known for his virtuosity in archeology, architecture and garden creations, Pirro Ligorio, the humanist, offered the vision behind the splendors in Tivoli. Masterminding the extraordinary water marbles, water features and water antics for the assorted estates near Florence, some other water fountain engineers were well versed in humanistic subjects as well as classical scientific texts.

Anglo-Saxon Gardens at the Time of the Norman Conquest

Anglo-Saxon Gardens at the Time of the Norman Conquest Anglo-Saxon Gardens Time Norman Conquest 5073434887469397658.jpg

The arrival of the Normans in the latter half of the 11th century significantly transformed The Anglo-Saxon ways of living. Architecture and gardening were abilities that the Normans excelled in, trumping that of the Anglo-Saxons at the time of the occupation. But the Normans had to pacify the overall territory before they could concentrate on home life, domestic architecture, and decoration. Because of this, castles were cruder buildings than monasteries: Monasteries were often immense stone buildings set in the biggest and most fertile valleys, while castles were constructed on windy crests where their inhabitants devoted time and space to projects for offense and defense. The calm method of gardening was not viable in these dreary bastions. Berkeley Castle is possibly the most unchanged model in existence today of the early Anglo-Norman form of architecture. It is said that the keep was introduced during William the Conqueror's time. As a method of deterring assailants from tunneling underneath the walls, an immense terrace surrounds the building. A picturesque bowling green, enveloped in grass and enclosed by battlements cut out of an ancient yew hedge, creates one of the terraces.

Outdoor Garden Fountains Found in Historical Documents

Outdoor Garden Fountains Found in Historical Documents The water from springs and other sources was initially delivered to the citizens of nearby towns and cities by way of water fountains, whose purpose was primarily practical, not aesthetic. In the days before electricity, the spray of fountains was driven by gravity only, often using an aqueduct or water supply located far away in the surrounding hills. Frequently used as memorials and commemorative structures, water fountains have influenced men and women from all over the world throughout the centuries. Rough in style, the very first water fountains didn't appear much like modern-day fountains. Uncomplicated stone basins crafted from local stone were the original fountains, used for religious functions and drinking water. Natural stone basins as fountains have been discovered from 2000 B.C.. The force of gravity was the power source that controlled the oldest water fountains. These historic water fountains were built to be functional, frequently situated along reservoirs, creeks and rivers to supply drinking water. Animals, Gods, and Spiritual figures dominated the very early decorative Roman fountains, beginning to appear in about 6 B.C.. The Romans had an elaborate system of aqueducts that provided the water for the many fountains that were located throughout the urban center.

Back Story of Garden Water Fountains

Back Story Garden Water Fountains 128929247465169.jpg

Back Story of Garden Water Fountains Himself a highly educated man, Pope Nicholas V headed the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 till 1455 and was responsible for the translation of scores of age-old texts from their original Greek into Latin. In order to make Rome worthy of being the capital of the Christian world, the Pope resolved to enhance the beauty of the city. In 1453 the Pope commissioned the rebuilding of the Aqua Vergine, an historic Roman aqueduct which had carried fresh drinking water into the city from eight miles away. The ancient Roman custom of marking the entry point of an aqueduct with an magnificent celebratory fountain, also known as a mostra, was restored by Nicholas V. The Trevi Fountain now occupies the area formerly filled with a wall fountain built by Leon Battista Albert, an architect commissioned 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.