Bernini’s First Italian Fountains

Bernini’s First Italian Fountains The Barcaccia, a beautiful water fountain built at the base of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna, was Bernini's earliest fountain. To this day, this area is filled with Roman locals and tourists alike who enjoy debate and each other's company. The streets neighboring his water fountain have come to be one of the city’s most stylish meeting places, something which would certainly have pleased Bernini himself. In about 1630, the great master designed the first fountain of his career at the behest of Pope Ubano VIII. An enormous vessel slowly sinking into the Mediterranean is the fountain's central theme. Period writings dating back to the 16th century indicate that the fountain was built as a monument to those who lost their lives in the great flooding of the Tevere. In what turned out to be his sole extended absence from Italy, Bernini {journeyed | traveled] to France in 1665.

The Influence of the Norman Conquest on Anglo Saxon Landscaping

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The Influence of the Norman Conquest on Anglo Saxon Landscaping The arrival of the Normans in the second half of the 11th century irreparably transformed The Anglo-Saxon lifestyle. The expertise of the Normans exceeded the Anglo-Saxons' in design and agriculture at the time of the conquest. But there was no time for home life, domestic design, and adornment until the Normans had overcome the whole region. Most often constructed upon windy summits, castles were basic constructs that permitted their occupants to devote time and space to offensive and defensive strategies, while monasteries were rambling stone buildings commonly placed in only the most fecund, broad valleys. Gardening, a quiet occupation, was impracticable in these fruitless fortifications. Berkeley Castle, perhaps the most uncorrupted model of the early Anglo-Norman style of architecture, still exists now. The keep is said to date from William the Conqueror's time. An enormous terrace encompasses the building, serving as an obstacle to attackers wanting to excavate under the castle walls. One of these terraces, a charming bowling green, is covered grass and flanked by an aged yew hedge trimmed into the form of crude battlements.

The City Of Rome, Gian Bernini, And Outdoor Water Fountains

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The City Of Rome, Gian Bernini, And Outdoor Water Fountains There are many renowned Roman water features in its city center. Nearly all of them were planned, conceived and constructed by one of the greatest sculptors and designers of the 17th century, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Also a city architect, he had capabilities as a fountain developer, and traces of his life's work are evident throughout 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 excellent employee, the young Bernini received compliments and patronage of various popes and important designers. He was initially recognized for his sculpture. Working effortlessly with Roman marble, he made use of a base of experience in the ancient Greek architecture, most notably in the Vatican. Though many artists impacted his artistic endeavors, Michelangelo affected him the most.