The Genesis Of Fountains
The Genesis Of Fountains The amazing or decorative effect of a fountain is just one of the purposes it fulfills, as well as supplying drinking water and adding a decorative touch to your property.The primary purpose of a fountain was originally strictly practical. People in cities, towns and villages received their drinking water, as well as water to bathe and wash, from aqueducts or springs in the vicinity. Up to the late nineteenth century, water fountains had to be near an aqueduct or reservoir and higher than the fountain so that gravity could make the water move downwards or jet high into the air. Designers thought of fountains as amazing additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to supply clean water and celebrate the designer responsible for creating it.
Roman fountains often depicted images of animals or heroes made of metal or stone masks. Throughout the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden planners included fountains to create smaller variations of the gardens of paradise. The fountains found in the Gardens of Versailles were meant to show the power over nature held by King Louis XIV of France. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were extolled with baroque style fountains constructed to mark the place of entry of Roman aqueducts.
Since indoor plumbing became the standard of the day for fresh, drinking water, by the end of the 19th century urban fountains were no longer needed for this purpose and they became purely decorative. Gravity was replaced by mechanical pumps in order to enable fountains to bring in clean water and allow for amazing water displays.
Decorating city parks, honoring people or events and entertaining, are some of the purposes of modern-day fountains.
Water Fountains Found in Historical Documents
Water Fountains Found in Historical Documents As originally conceived, water fountains were crafted to be functional, directing water from streams or reservoirs to the citizens of cities and settlements,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, washing, and drinking. In the years before electric power, the spray of fountains was powered by gravity exclusively, often using an aqueduct or water source located far away in the nearby hills. Inspiring and spectacular, large water fountains have been crafted as monuments in many civilizations. Simple in style, the 1st water fountains didn't appear much like present fountains. A stone basin, crafted from rock, was the 1st fountain, used for holding water for drinking and religious functions. Pure stone basins as fountains have been uncovered from 2,000 B.C.. The spraying of water emerging from small spouts was pressured by gravity, the sole power source creators had in those days. Positioned near aqueducts or springs, the functional public water fountains supplied the local population with fresh drinking water. The people of Rome began building decorative fountains in 6 B.C., most of which were metallic or stone masks of creatures and mythological representations. A well-designed collection of reservoirs and aqueducts kept Rome's public water fountains supplied with fresh water.Anglo Saxon Landscapes at the Time of the Norman Conquest
Anglo Saxon Landscapes at the Time of the Norman Conquest The advent of the Normans in the latter half of the eleventh century significantly altered The Anglo-Saxon ways of living. Engineering and gardening were attributes that the Normans excelled in, trumping that of the Anglo-Saxons at the time of the occupation. But before focusing on home-life or having the occasion to consider domestic architecture or decoration, the Normans had to subjugate an entire society. Monasteries and castles served separate functions, so while monasteries were enormous stone structures constructed in only the most productive, wide dales, castles were set upon blustery knolls where the occupants focused on learning offensive and defensive practices. The sterile fortresses did not provide for the calm avocation of farming. The early Anglo-Norman style of architecture is represented in Berkeley Castle, which is perhaps the most unscathed sample we have. The keep is said to date from William the Conqueror's time. A massive terrace serves as a hindrance to invaders who would try to mine the walls of the building. On one of these terraces lies a stylish bowling green: it's coated in grass and flanked by an old yew hedge that is created into the shape of rough ramparts.