The Source of Modern Outdoor Water Fountains
The Source of Modern Outdoor Water Fountains The translation of hundreds of ancient Greek documents into Latin was commissioned by the learned Pope Nicholas V who ruled the Church in Rome from 1397 until 1455. In order to make Rome worthy of being the capital of the Christian world, the Pope resolved to embellish the beauty of the city. Restoration of the Acqua Vergine, a ruined Roman aqueduct which had transported clean drinking water into the city from eight miles away, began in 1453 at the behest of the Pope. The ancient Roman custom of building an awe-inspiring commemorative fountain at the location where an aqueduct arrived, also known as a mostra, was revived by Nicholas V. The present-day site of the Trevi Fountain was once occupied by a wall fountain commissioned by the Pope and built by the architect Leon Battista Alberti. The Trevi Fountain as well as the renowned baroque fountains located in the Piazza del Popolo and the Piazza Navona were eventually supplied with water from the altered aqueduct he had rebuilt.Builders of the First Water Features
Builders of the First Water Features Frequently serving as architects, sculptors, artists, engineers and cultivated scholars, all in one, fountain designers were multi-faceted people from the 16th to the late 18th century. Exemplifying the Renaissance skilled artist as a inspiring master, Leonardo da Vinci worked as an innovator and scientific expert. With his tremendous curiosity regarding the forces of nature, he researched the qualities and mobility of water and systematically recorded his examinations in his now recognized notebooks. Modifying private villa configurations into amazing water showcases full of symbolic meaning and natural beauty, early Italian water fountain engineers paired creativity with hydraulic and horticultural knowledge. The brilliance in Tivoli were developed by the humanist Pirro Ligorio, who was celebrated for his skill in archeology, engineering and garden design.