Ancient Crete & The Minoans: Water Fountains
Ancient Crete & The Minoans: Water Fountains Fountains and Water and the Minoan Civilization
The Origins Of Outdoor Fountains
The Origins Of Outdoor Fountains
Originally, fountains only served a functional purpose. Residents of urban areas, townships and small towns used them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash, which meant that fountains needed to be connected to nearby aqueduct or spring. Up until the 19th century, fountains had to be higher and closer to a water supply, such as aqueducts and reservoirs, in order to benefit from gravity which fed the fountains. Artists thought of fountains as wonderful additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to provide clean water and honor the designer responsible for creating it. The main components used by the Romans to create their fountains were bronze or stone masks, mostly depicting animals or heroes. Throughout the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden planners included fountains to create mini variations of the gardens of paradise. To show his prominence over nature, French King Louis XIV included fountains in the Garden of Versailles. The Romans of the 17th and 18th centuries created baroque decorative fountains to glorify the Popes who commissioned them as well as to mark the spot where the restored Roman aqueducts entered the city.
Urban fountains built at the end of the nineteenth functioned only as decorative and celebratory ornaments since indoor plumbing provided the necessary drinking water. Amazing water effects and recycled water were made possible by switching the force of gravity with mechanical pumps.
Contemporary fountains are used to embellish community spaces, honor individuals or events, and enrich recreational and entertainment events.