Modern Garden Decoration: Outdoor Fountains and their Roots

Modern Garden Decoration: Outdoor Fountains and their Roots A water fountain is an architectural piece that pours water into a basin or jets it high into the air in order to supply drinkable water, as well as for decorative purposes.

Pure functionality was the original role of fountains. Modern Garden Decoration: Outdoor Fountains Roots 13043104508079.jpg Cities, towns and villages made use of nearby aqueducts or springs to provide them with potable water as well as water where they could bathe or wash. Until the late nineteenth, century most water fountains functioned using the force of gravity to allow water to flow or jet into the air, therefore, they needed a source of water such as a reservoir or aqueduct located higher than the fountain. Fountains were an excellent source of water, and also served to adorn living areas and celebrate the artist. Bronze or stone masks of animals and heroes were frequently seen on Roman fountains. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden designers included fountains in their designs to re-create the gardens of paradise. The fountains seen in the Gardens of Versailles were supposed to show the power over nature held by King Louis XIV of France. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were extolled with baroque style fountains built to mark the arrival points of Roman aqueducts.

The end of the nineteenth century saw the rise in usage of indoor plumbing to supply drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to purely decorative elements. The introduction of special water effects and the recycling of water were two things made possible by replacing gravity with mechanical pumps.

Modern-day fountains serve mostly as decoration for open spaces, to honor individuals or events, and compliment entertainment and recreational gatherings.

Bernini's Earliest Masterpieces

Bernini's Earliest Masterpieces The Barcaccia, Bernini's very first fountain, is a magnificent chef d'oeuvre built at the foot of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. To this day, this spot is flooded with Roman locals and travelers alike who enjoy debate and each other's company. One of the city’s most fashionable meeting places are the streets surrounding Bernini's fountain, which would certainly have brought a smile to the great Bernini. In about 1630, the great artist designed the very first water fountain of his career at the behest of Pope Ubano VIII. The fountain’s central motif is based on a massive vessel slowly sinking into the Mediterranean. According to 16th century texts, a great flood of the Tevere covered the entire area in water, an event which was memorialized by the magnificent fountain. In what became his sole extended absence from Italy, Bernini {journeyed | traveled] to France in 1665.