The Root of Contemporary Wall Fountains

The Root of Contemporary Wall Fountains Root Contemporary Wall Fountains 0974029930750.jpg

The translation of hundreds of ancient Greek texts into Latin was commissioned by the scholarly Pope Nicholas V who led the Church in Rome from 1397 till 1455. Beautifying Rome and making it the worthy capital of the Christian world was at the heart of his objectives. In 1453 the Pope commissioned the repairing of the Aqua Vergine, an ancient Roman aqueduct which had carried clean drinking water into the city from eight miles away. The ancient Roman tradition of building an imposing commemorative fountain at the point where an aqueduct arrived, also known as a mostra, was revived by Nicholas V. At the bidding of the Pope, architect Leon Battista Alberti undertook the construction of a wall fountain in the spot where we now find the Trevi Fountain. Modifications and extensions, included in the repaired aqueduct, eventually provided the Trevi Fountain and the well-known baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona with the necessary water supply.

Sculpture As a Staple of Vintage Art in Historic Greece

Sculpture As a Staple of Vintage Art in Historic Greece The Archaic Greeks developed the very first freestanding statuary, an awesome achievement as most sculptures up until then had been reliefs cut into walls and pillars. Kouros figures, statues of young, handsome male or female (kore) Greeks, made up the majority of the sculptures. Symbolizing beauty to the Greeks, the kouroi were designed to look rigid and always had foot in front; the males were vigorous, powerful, and naked. Life-sized versions of the kouroi appeared beginning in 650 BC. A massive period of improvement for the Greeks, the Archaic period brought about new forms of government, expressions of art, and a higher appreciation of people and cultures outside of Greece. Notwithstanding, these clashes did little to hinder the advancement of the Greek civilization.