When and Where Did Water Fountains Originate?

When and Where Did Water Fountains Originate? Himself a learned man, Pope Nicholas V led the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 till 1455 and was responsible for the translation of hundreds of age-old texts from their original Greek into Latin. In order to make Rome worthy of being the capital of the Christian world, the Pope decided to enhance the beauty of the city. At the bidding of the Pope, the Aqua Vergine, a ruined aqueduct which had transported clean drinking water into Rome from eight miles away, was restored starting in 1453. The ancient Roman tradition of building an awe-inspiring commemorative fountain at the location where an aqueduct arrived, also known as a mostra, was restored by Nicholas V. The architect Leon Battista Alberti was directed by the Pope to put up a wall fountain 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 rebuilt.

The Original Fountain Designers

The Original Fountain Designers Original Fountain Designers 87961180818419616379.jpg

Multi-talented people, fountain artists from the 16th to the late 18th century typically functioned as architects, sculptors, artists, engineers and cultivated scholars all in one person. Leonardo da Vinci, a Renaissance artist, was celebrated as an imaginative genius, inventor and scientific virtuoso. The forces of nature led him to analyze the properties and movement of water, and due to his fascination, he methodically recorded his experiences in his now famed notebooks. Early Italian water feature engineers converted private villa configurations into ingenious water displays complete with symbolic meaning and natural charm by coupling creativity with hydraulic and gardening expertise. The humanist Pirro Ligorio, celebrated for his virtuosity in archeology, architecture and garden design, provided the vision behind the wonders in Tivoli. For the various mansions near Florence, other fountain designers were well versed in humanistic themes as well as classical technical texts, masterminding the excellent water marbles, water attributes and water humor.

A Short History of the First Outdoor Water Features

A Short History of the First Outdoor Water Features The water from creeks and other sources was originally provided to the residents of nearby communities and municipalities via water fountains, whose design was primarily practical, not aesthetic. The force of gravity was the power supply of water fountains up until the conclusion of the nineteenth century, using the forceful power of water traveling down hill from a spring or brook to push the water through valves or other outlets. The beauty and wonder of fountains make them appropriate for traditional monuments. Short History First Outdoor Water Features 6843664951008775.jpg

Short History First Outdoor Water Features 6843664951008775.jpg

The contemporary fountains of today bear little resemblance to the first water fountains. Designed for drinking water and ceremonial reasons, the very first fountains were very simple carved stone basins. Pure stone basins as fountains have been discovered from 2000 BC. The first fountains put to use in ancient civilizations relied on gravity to manipulate the movement of water through the fountain. Drinking water was supplied by public fountains, long before fountains became decorative public statues, as striking as they are practical. Fountains with decorative Gods, mythological monsters, and animals began to show up in Rome in about 6 B.C., built from natural stone and bronze. The extraordinary aqueducts of Rome furnished water to the eye-catching public fountains, most of which you can go see today.