Where did Large Outdoor Fountains Originate from?
Where did Large Outdoor Fountains Originate from? A fountain, an incredible piece of engineering, not only supplies drinking water as it pours into a basin, it can also propel water high into the air for an extraordinary effect. The central purpose of a fountain was originally strictly practical. Water fountains were connected to a spring or aqueduct to provide drinkable water as well as bathing water for cities, townships and villages. Until the late 19th, 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. Acting as an element of adornment and celebration, fountains also provided clean, fresh drinking water. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often used by Romans to decorate their fountains. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden designers included fountains in their designs to re-create the gardens of paradise. To demonstrate his dominance over nature, French King Louis XIV included fountains in the Garden of Versailles. Seventeen and 18 century Popes sought to exalt their positions by adding decorative baroque-style fountains at the point where restored Roman aqueducts arrived into the city.
The end of the nineteenth century saw the increase in usage of indoor plumbing to provide drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to strictly decorative elements. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity helped fountains to bring recycled water into living spaces as well as create special water effects.
Contemporary fountains are used to adorn public spaces, honor individuals or events, and enhance recreational and entertainment events.
Bernini's First Masterpieces
Bernini's First Masterpieces
The Barcaccia, a beautiful water fountain constructed at the base of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna, was Bernini's earliest fountain. This area is still filled with Roman locals and visitors who enjoy exchanging gossip or going over the day's news. One of the city’s most stylish gathering spots are the streets surrounding Bernini's fountain, which would certainly have brought a smile to the great Bernini. In about 1630, the great master built the very first fountain of his career at the behest of Pope Ubano VIII. The fountain’s central theme is based on an enormous boat 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 documents from the time. In 1665 Bernini traveled to France, in what was to be his only extended absence from Italy.