The Fountains
The Fountains As originally conceived, fountains were crafted to be functional, directing water from streams or reservoirs to the citizens of cities and settlements, where the water could be used for cooking food, washing, and drinking. Gravity was the power source of water fountains up until the end of the 19th century, using the potent power of water traveling downhill from a spring or creek to force the water through valves or other outlets. Typically used as memorials and commemorative structures, water fountains have influenced people from all over the globe all through the ages.
If you saw the earliest fountains, you wouldn't recognize them as fountains. The 1st known water fountain was a natural stone basin created that was used as a container for drinking water and ceremonial purposes. The oldest stone basins are presumed to be from around 2000 B.C.. The spray of water appearing from small spouts was forced by gravity, the sole power source creators had in those days. Located near aqueducts or springs, the functional public water fountains furnished the local population with fresh drinking water. Wildlife, Gods, and Spiritual figures dominated the very early ornate Roman fountains, beginning to appear in about 6 B.C.. Water for the communal fountains of Rome arrived to the city via a elaborate system of water aqueducts.
Modern Garden Decor: Outdoor Fountains and their Beginnings
Modern Garden Decor: Outdoor Fountains and their Beginnings A fountain, an amazing piece of engineering, not only supplies drinking water as it pours into a basin, it can also propel water high into the air for a noteworthy effect.Originally, fountains only served a practical purpose. People in cities, towns and villages received their drinking water, as well as water to bathe and wash, from aqueducts or springs in the area. Until the late nineteenth, century most water fountains functioned using gravity to allow water to flow or jet into the air, therefore, they needed a supply of water such as a reservoir or aqueduct located higher than the fountain. Fountains were an optimal source of water, and also served to decorate living areas and memorialize the designer. Bronze or stone masks of wildlife and heroes were commonly seen on Roman fountains. To illustrate the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages introduced fountains to their designs.
To show his prominence over nature, French King Louis XIV included fountains in the Garden of Versailles. The Romans of the 17th and 18th centuries created baroque decorative fountains to glorify the Popes who commissioned them as well as to mark the spot where the restored Roman aqueducts entered the city.
The end of the nineteenth century saw the rise in usage of indoor plumbing to supply drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to strictly decorative elements. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity allowed fountains to deliver recycled water into living spaces as well as create unique water effects.
Modern-day fountains function mostly as decoration for community spaces, to honor individuals or events, and compliment entertainment and recreational gatherings.