The Godfather Of Roman Outdoor Fountains
The Godfather Of Roman Outdoor Fountains
There are countless celebrated water features in Rome’s city center. One of the greatest sculptors and artists of the 17th century, Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed, conceptualized and built nearly all of them. His expertise as a water feature creator and also as a city architect, are obvious all through the streets of Rome. Bernini's father, a renowned Florentine sculptor, mentored his young son, and they ultimately moved to Rome, in order to fully express their art, primarily in the form of public water fountains and water features. An diligent employee, the young Bernini earned praise and patronage of various popes and influential designers. At the beginning he was known for his sculptural abilities. An authority in classic Greek engineering, he utilized this knowledge as a foundation and melded it flawlessly with Roman marble, most remarkably in the Vatican. Though many artists had an influence on his work, Michelangelo had the most profound effect.
The Origins Of Wall Fountains
The Origins Of Wall Fountains 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.Originally, fountains only served a functional purpose. Cities, towns and villages made use of nearby aqueducts or springs to provide them with drinking water as well as water where they could bathe or wash. Up until the nineteenth, fountains had to be higher and closer to a water supply, such as aqueducts and reservoirs, in order to take advantage of gravity which fed the fountains.
Fountains were not only used as a water source for drinking water, but also to adorn homes and celebrate the artist who created it. Bronze or stone masks of animals and heroes were commonly seen on Roman fountains. 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 supposed to show the power over nature held by King Louis XIV of France. To mark the entrance of the restored Roman aqueducts, the Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries commissioned the construction of baroque style fountains in the spot where the aqueducts arrived in the city of Rome
Indoor plumbing became the main source of water by the end of the 19th century thereby limiting urban fountains to mere decorative elements. Amazing water effects and recycled water were made possible by replacing the power of gravity with mechanical pumps.
Nowadays, fountains decorate public spaces and are used to honor individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.