Where did Landscape Fountains Come From?
Where did Landscape Fountains Come From?
Pure functionality was the original purpose of fountains. Cities, towns and villages made use of nearby aqueducts or springs to supply them with drinking water as well as water where they could bathe or wash. Used until the 19th century, in order for fountains to flow or shoot up into the air, their source of water such as reservoirs or aqueducts, had to be higher than the water fountain in order to benefit from gravity. Fountains were an optimal source of water, and also served to decorate living areas and memorialize the designer. Roman fountains often depicted imagery of animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks. Muslims and Moorish landscaping designers of the Middle Ages included fountains to re-create smaller versions of the gardens of paradise. King Louis XIV of France wanted to demonstrate his dominion over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. To mark the entryway 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 entered the city of Rome
Since indoor plumbing became the norm of the day for fresh, drinking water, by the end of the 19th century urban fountains were no longer needed for this purpose and they became purely ornamental. Amazing water effects and recycled water were made possible by replacing the power of gravity with mechanical pumps.
Contemporary fountains are used to adorn community spaces, honor individuals or events, and enrich recreational and entertainment events.
Acqua Vergine: The Solution to Rome's Water Problems
Acqua Vergine: The Solution to Rome's Water Problems Rome’s very first elevated aqueduct, Aqua Anio Vetus, was built in 273 BC; prior to that, citizens residing at higher elevations had to depend on natural creeks for their water. Throughout this time period, there were only two other technologies capable of offering water to higher areas, subterranean wells and cisterns, which gathered rainwater. To furnish water to Pincian Hill in the early sixteenth century, they applied the brand-new tactic of redirecting the circulation from the Acqua Vergine aqueduct’s underground network. As originally constructed, the aqueduct was provided along the length of its channel with pozzi (manholes) constructed at regular intervals. Though they were originally planned to make it possible to support the aqueduct, Cardinal Marcello Crescenzi began using the manholes to gather water from the channel, starting when he obtained the property in 1543. Though the cardinal also had a cistern to get rainwater, it didn’t provide a sufficient amount of water. That is when he made the decision to create an access point to the aqueduct that ran below his residential property."Primitive" Greek Artistry: Large Statuary
"Primitive" Greek Artistry: Large Statuary