The Origins of Contemporary Wall Fountains

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The Origins of Contemporary Wall Fountains Himself a highly educated man, Pope Nicholas V headed the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 till 1455 and was responsible for the translation of hundreds of age-old documents from their original Greek into Latin. In order to make Rome worthy of being the capital of the Christian world, the Pope resolved to embellish the beauty of the city. Reconstruction of the Acqua Vergine, a desolate Roman aqueduct which had transported clean drinking water into the city from eight miles away, began in 1453 at the bidding of the Pope. Building a mostra, an imposing celebratory fountain built by ancient Romans to memorialize the entry point of an aqueduct, was a custom revived by Nicholas V. The present-day site of the Trevi Fountain was formerly occupied by a wall fountain commissioned by the Pope and built by the architect Leon Battista Alberti. The aqueduct he had refurbished included modifications and extensions which eventually enabled it to supply water to the Trevi Fountain as well as the renowned baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and the Piazza Navona.

The Outdoor Public Fountains

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Water fountains were initially practical in function, used to convey water from rivers or springs to cities and villages, providing the inhabitants with fresh water to drink, bathe, and prepare food with. To generate water flow through a fountain until the end of the 1800’s, and produce a jet of water, demanded the force of gravity and a water source such as a creek or reservoir, situated higher than the fountain. Inspiring and spectacular, prominent water fountains have been crafted as memorials in nearly all civilizations. When you enjoy a fountain nowadays, that is not what the very first water fountains looked like. Basic stone basins sculpted from nearby material were the first fountains, used for spiritual purposes and drinking water. Natural stone basins as fountains have been uncovered from 2,000 B.C.. The very first civilizations that utilized fountains relied on gravity to force water through spigots. Positioned near aqueducts or creeks, the practical public water fountains provided the local population with fresh drinking water. The people of Rome began constructing elaborate fountains in 6 B.C., most of which were bronze or natural stone masks of wildlife and mythological characters. A well-engineered system of reservoirs and aqueducts kept Rome's public fountains supplied with fresh water.