Anglo Saxon Grounds at the Time of the Norman Conquest

Aqueducts: The Remedy to Rome's Water Problems
Aqueducts: The Remedy to Rome's Water Problems With the development of the first raised aqueduct in Rome, the Aqua Anio Vetus in 273 BC, folks who lived on the city’s hills no longer had to be dependent solely on naturally-occurring spring water for their needs. If inhabitants living at higher elevations did not have access to springs or the aqueduct, they’d have to rely on the remaining existing systems of the day, cisterns that gathered rainwater from the sky and subterranean wells that received the water from under ground.
Where did Landscape Fountains Come From?
Where did Landscape Fountains Come From? A water fountain is an architectural piece that pours water into a basin or jets it high into the air in order to provide drinking water, as well as for decorative purposes.From the beginning, outdoor fountains were simply there to serve as functional elements. People in cities, towns and villages received their drinking water, as well as water to bathe and wash, from aqueducts or springs nearby. Up to the late 19th century, water fountains had to be near an aqueduct or reservoir and more elevated than the fountain so that gravity could make the water flow down or jet high into the air. Fountains were not only used as a water source for drinking water, but also to decorate homes and celebrate the artist who created it. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often times utilized by Romans to beautify their fountains. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden designers included fountains in their designs to mimic the gardens of paradise. Fountains played a significant role in the Gardens of Versailles, all part of French King Louis XIV’s desire to exert his power over nature. 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 location where the restored Roman aqueducts entered the city.
Since indoor plumbing became the norm of the day for clean, drinking water, by the end of the 19th century urban fountains were no longer needed for this purpose and they became purely ornamental. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity allowed fountains to bring recycled water into living spaces as well as create special water effects.
Modern-day fountains serve mostly as decoration for open spaces, to honor individuals or events, and enhance entertainment and recreational activities.