The Beginnings of Contemporary Wall Fountains

The Beginnings of Contemporary Wall Fountains Hundreds of ancient Greek records were translated into Latin under the authority of the scholarly Pope Nicholas V, who led the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 to 1455. It was important for him to beautify the city of Rome to make it worthy of being known as the capital of the Christian world. Reconstruction of the Acqua Vergine, a ruined Roman aqueduct which had carried clean drinking water into the city from eight miles away, began in 1453 at the behest of the Pope. A mostra, a monumental commemorative fountain built by ancient Romans to mark the point of entry of an aqueduct, was a custom which was restored by Nicholas V. The present-day site of the Trevi Fountain was previously occupied by a wall fountain commissioned by the Pope and built by the architect Leon Battista Alberti. The Trevi Fountain as well as the well-known baroque fountains located in the Piazza del Popolo and the Piazza Navona were eventually supplied with water from the altered aqueduct he had rebuilt.

Rome, Gian Bernini, And Public Fountains

Rome, Gian Bernini, And Public Fountains There are many famous water features in Rome’s city center. Nearly all of them were designed, conceived and built by one of the greatest sculptors and designers of the 17th century, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Marks of his life's work are evident throughout the avenues of Rome because, in addition to his abilities as a water feature builder, he was additionally a city builder. Ultimately moving to Rome to fully show their art, chiefly in the shape of public water features, Bernini’s father, a distinguished Florentine sculptor, guided his young son. An outstanding worker, Bernin earned praise and the patronage of popes and well known artists. At the beginning he was known for his sculptural expertise. He made use of his expertise and melded it seamlessly with Roman marble, most significantly in the Vatican. He was affected by many great artists, however, Michelangelo had the biggest impact on his work.

Bernini’s First Italian Water Fountains

Bernini’s First Italian Water Fountains The Barcaccia, a beautiful fountain constructed at the base of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna, was Bernini's earliest water fountain. To this day, you will see Roman residents and vacation goers occupying this area to revel in chit chatter and being among other people. The streets neighboring his fountain have come to be one of the city’s most stylish gathering places, something which would certainly have pleased Bernini himself. In around 1630, Pope Urbano VIII helped Bernini launch his professional life with the construction of his first water fountain. The fountain’s central theme is based on an enormous vessel slowly sinking into the Mediterranean Sea. The great 16th century flooding of the Tevere, which left the entire region inundated with water, was memorialized by the water fountain according to writings from the time. In what turned out to be his one and only extended absence from Italy, Bernini {journeyed | traveled] to France in 1665.