Modern Garden Decoration: Outdoor Fountains and their Roots
Modern Garden Decoration: Outdoor Fountains and their Roots A water fountain is an architectural piece that pours water into a basin or jets it high into the air in order to provide drinkable water, as well as for decorative purposes. Pure functionality was the original purpose of fountains. Inhabitants of cities, townships and small towns used them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash up, which meant that fountains needed to be linked to nearby aqueduct or spring. Up until the 19th century, fountains had to be more elevated and closer to a water source, including aqueducts and reservoirs, in order to benefit from gravity which fed the fountains. Artists thought of fountains as amazing additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to supply clean water and celebrate the artist responsible for building it. Bronze or stone masks of wildlife and heroes were frequently seen on Roman fountains. To depict the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages added fountains to their designs. King Louis XIV of France wanted to demonstrate his superiority over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were extolled with baroque style fountains constructed to mark the place of entry of Roman aqueducts.
The end of the 19th century saw the rise in usage of indoor plumbing to provide drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to purely decorative elements. Gravity was replaced by mechanical pumps in order to permit fountains to bring in clean water and allow for amazing water displays.
Modern-day fountains serve mostly as decoration for open spaces, to honor individuals or events, and enhance entertainment and recreational gatherings.
Anglo Saxon Grounds During the Norman Conquest
Anglo Saxon Grounds During the Norman Conquest Anglo-Saxons experienced great changes to their daily lives in the latter half of the eleventh century due to the accession of the Normans. The Normans were better than the Anglo-Saxons at architecture and horticulture when they came into power. But the Normans had to pacify the whole 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 erected on windy crests where their citizens devoted time and space to tasks for offense and defense. The sterile fortresses did not provide for the peaceful avocation of gardening.
Berkeley Castle is possibly the most intact model in existence nowadays of the early Anglo-Norman form of architecture. The keep is reported to have been conceived during the time of William the Conqueror. An enormous terrace encompasses the building, serving as an impediment to attackers wanting to dig under the castle walls. On one of these parapets is a scenic bowling green covered in grass and bordered by an aged hedge of yew that has been designed into coarse battlements.