A Short History of Early Outdoor Water Features

A Short History of Early Outdoor Water Features As originally conceived, water fountains were crafted to be practical, directing water from streams or reservoirs to the residents of cities and settlements, where the water could be used for cooking food, washing, and drinking. To generate water flow through a fountain until the end of the 1800’s, and generate a jet of water, demanded gravity and a water source such as a creek or reservoir, positioned higher than the fountain. Inspirational and impressive, prominent water fountains have been crafted as memorials in many civilizations. The contemporary fountains of today bear little similarity to the first water fountains. A natural stone basin, carved from rock, was the 1st fountain, utilized for containing water for drinking and religious functions. Natural stone basins as fountains have been uncovered from 2000 BC. Gravity was the energy source that controlled the initial water fountains. Drinking water was delivered by public fountains, long before fountains became ornate public monuments, as striking as they are practical. Beasts, Gods, and spectral figures dominated the initial ornate Roman fountains, beginning to show up in about 6 BC. Water for the community fountains of Rome was delivered to the city via a complex system of water aqueducts.

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

The City Of Rome, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, And Water Fountains In Rome’s city center, there are many celebrated water features. City Rome, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Water Fountains 8320494249946352648.jpg

City Rome, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Water Fountains 8320494249946352648.jpg

Gian Lorenzo Bernini, one of the most brilliant sculptors and artists of the 17th century designed, conceived and produced nearly all of them. Also a city designer, he had abilities as a water feature developer, and traces of his life's work are apparent throughout the roads of Rome. Eventually moving to Rome to completely reveal their art, chiefly in the shape of community water features, Bernini’s father, a renowned Florentine sculptor, mentored his young son. An excellent worker, the young Bernini earned compliments and patronage of various popes and important designers. At the start he was recognized for his sculptural abilities. He made use of his knowledge and melded it effortlessly with Roman marble, most significantly in the Vatican. Although many artists had an impact on his work, Michelangelo had the most profound effect.

A Chronicle of Outdoor Water Fountains

A Chronicle of Outdoor Water Fountains Himself a highly educated man, Pope Nicholas V headed the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 till 1455 and was responsible for the translation of hundreds of ancient documents from their original Greek into Latin. In order to make Rome deserving of being the capital of the Christian world, the Pope decided to embellish the beauty of the city. Chronicle Outdoor Water Fountains 1498467504.jpg

Chronicle Outdoor Water Fountains 1498467504.jpg

Starting in 1453, the ruined ancient Roman aqueduct known as the Aqua Vergine which had brought fresh drinking water into the city from eight miles away, underwent repair at the behest of the Pope. Building a mostra, a grandiose celebratory fountain built by ancient Romans to memorialize the arrival point of an aqueduct, was a tradition revived by Nicholas V. At the behest of the Pope, architect Leon Battista Alberti undertook the construction of a wall fountain in the place where we now find the Trevi Fountain. The Trevi Fountain as well as the renowned baroque fountains found in the Piazza del Popolo and the Piazza Navona were eventually supplied with water from the modified aqueduct he had reconstructed.