When and Where Did Water Fountains Originate?

When and Where Did Water Fountains Originate? Pope Nicholas V, himself a well educated man, reigned the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 to 1455 during which time he commissioned many translations of old classic Greek texts into Latin. Beautifying Rome and making it the worthy capital of the Christian world was at the center of his ambitions. In 1453 the Pope instigated the reconstruction of the Aqua Vergine, an ancient Roman aqueduct which had carried clean drinking water into the city from eight miles away. The ancient Roman tradition of building an awe-inspiring commemorative fountain at the point where an aqueduct arrived, also known as a mostra, was revived by Nicholas V. The Trevi Fountain now occupies the area previously filled with a wall fountain built by Leon Battista Albert, an architect commissioned by the Pope. Water Fountains Originate? 1433273436202.jpg

Water Fountains Originate? 1433273436202.jpg

The water which eventually furnished the Trevi Fountain as well as the renown baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona came from the modified aqueduct which he had renovated.

Water Fountain Builders Through History

Water Fountain Builders Through History Multi-talented people, fountain artists from the 16th to the late 18th century often functioned as architects, sculptors, artists, engineers and highly educated scholars all in one. Leonardo da Vinci, a Renaissance artist, was notable as a inventive intellect, inventor and scientific expert. He carefully noted his ideas in his now recognized notebooks, after his immense fascination in the forces of nature inspired him to examine the characteristics and mobility of water. Coupling inventiveness with hydraulic and landscaping expertise, early Italian water feature developers changed private villa settings into ingenious water displays full with symbolic meaning and natural charm. The humanist Pirro Ligorio offered the vision behind the splendors in Tivoli and was distinguished for his skill in archeology, architecture and garden concepts. Masterminding the fascinating water marbles, water attributes and water antics for the assorted estates in the vicinity of Florence, some other water fountain engineers were well versed in humanistic topics and time-honored scientific texts.