Contemporary Garden Decoration: Large Outdoor Water Fountains and their Roots

Originally, fountains only served a practical purpose. Water fountains were connected to a spring or aqueduct to provide potable water as well as bathing water for cities, townships and villages. Used until the 19th century, in order for fountains to flow or shoot up into the air, their origin of water such as reservoirs or aqueducts, had to be higher than the water fountain in order to benefit from gravity. Fountains were not only utilized as a water source for drinking water, but also to adorn homes and celebrate the artist who created it. Roman fountains often depicted imagery of animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks. Muslims and Moorish landscaping designers of the Middle Ages included fountains to re-create smaller models of the gardens of paradise. The fountains found in the Gardens of Versailles were supposed to show the power over nature held by King Louis XIV of France. To mark the entrance of the restored Roman aqueducts, the Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries commissioned the building of baroque style fountains in the spot where the aqueducts arrived in the city of Rome
The end of the nineteenth century saw the increase in usage of indoor plumbing to supply drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to strictly decorative elements. The introduction of unique water effects and the recycling of water were 2 things made possible by replacing gravity with mechanical pumps.
Nowadays, fountains decorate public areas and are used to honor individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.
The Distribution of Water Fountain Industrial Knowledge in Europe
The Distribution of Water Fountain Industrial Knowledge in Europe Instrumental to the development of scientific technology were the published papers and illustrated publications of the time. They were also the principal means of transferring useful hydraulic information and water fountain design ideas all through Europe. In the later part of the 1500's, a French fountain developer (whose name has been lost) was the internationally recognized hydraulics pioneer. With Royal commissions in Brussels, London and Germany, he began his work in Italy, acquiring expertise in garden design and grottoes with built-in and ingenious water hydraulics. He authored a publication entitled “The Principles of Moving Forces” towards the end of his life while in France which became the fundamental text on hydraulic mechanics and engineering. Classical antiquity hydraulic developments were detailed as well as revisions to key classical antiquity hydraulic discoveries in the publication. As a mechanical method to push water, Archimedes devised the water screw, key among key hydraulic advancements.
Original Water Delivery Solutions in The City Of Rome
Original Water Delivery Solutions in The City Of Rome With the manufacturing of the very first elevated aqueduct in Rome, the Aqua Anio Vetus in 273 BC, individuals who lived on the city’s hillsides no longer had to rely only on naturally-occurring spring water for their demands.