The Magificent Early Wonders by Bernini
The Magificent Early Wonders by Bernini The Barcaccia, Bernini's very first water fountain, is a striking chef d'oeuvre built at the foot of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna.
To this day, this spot is flooded with Roman locals and travelers alike who enjoy debate and each other's company. Bernini would without a doubt have been happy to know that people still flock to what has become one the city's trendiest areas, that around his amazing fountain. Dating back to around 1630, Pope Urbano VIII mandated what was to be the very first water fountain of the master's career. A large ship slowly sinking into the Mediterranean is the fountain's central theme. Period writings dating back to the 16th century show that the fountain was built as a memorial to those who lost their lives in the great flooding of the Tevere. In 1665 Bernini traveled to France, in what was to be his only prolonged absence from Italy.
A Brief History of Early Water Fountains
A Brief History of Early Water Fountains
The water from creeks and other sources was initially supplied to the occupants of nearby communities and cities by way of water fountains, whose purpose was largely practical, not aesthetic. To generate water flow through a fountain until the later part of the 1800’s, and produce a jet of water, mandated the force of gravity and a water source such as a creek or reservoir, situated higher than the fountain. The beauty and spectacle of fountains make them perfect for traditional memorials. Crude in style, the very first water fountains did not look much like modern fountains. The first recognized water fountain was a stone basin created that was used as a container for drinking water and ceremonial functions. Stone basins as fountains have been found from 2000 B.C.. Early fountains put to use in ancient civilizations depended on gravity to manipulate the flow of water through the fountain. Positioned near aqueducts or springs, the practical public water fountains furnished the local population with fresh drinking water. Fountains with flowery decoration began to show up in Rome in approx. 6 B.C., normally gods and wildlife, made with stone or copper-base alloy. A well-engineered collection of reservoirs and aqueducts kept Rome's public water fountains supplied with fresh water.