A Short History of the First Fountains

Short History First Fountains 74834325073.jpg

A Short History of the First Fountains As originally developed, water fountains were crafted to be functional, directing water from creeks or aqueducts to the residents of cities and villages, where the water could be used for cooking food, cleaning, and drinking. To produce water flow through a fountain until the late 1800’s, and generate a jet of water, mandated the force of gravity and a water source such as a spring or reservoir, situated higher than the fountain. Typically used as memorials and commemorative edifices, water fountains have influenced men and women from all over the world throughout the centuries. If you saw the first fountains, you wouldn't recognize them as fountains. Created for drinking water and ceremonial purposes, the very first fountains were very simple carved stone basins. The first stone basins are believed to be from around 2000 B.C.. The earliest civilizations that utilized fountains relied on gravity to push water through spigots. The location of the fountains was determined by the water source, which is why you’ll usually find them along aqueducts, canals, or streams. Fountains with elaborate decoration began to show up in Rome in approximately 6 BC, normally gods and animals, made with stone or bronze. A well-designed collection of reservoirs and aqueducts kept Rome's public fountains supplied with fresh water.

"Primitive" Greek Artistry: Outdoor Statuary

Archaic Greeks were renowned for providing the first freestanding statuary; up until then, most carvings were made out of walls and pillars as reliefs. Most of the freestanding statues were of youthful, winsome male or female (kore) Greeks and are referred to as kouros figures. The kouroi were believed by the Greeks to typify beauty and were sculpted with one foot leading and an uncompromising firmness to their forward-facing poses; the male statues were always strapping, sinewy, and naked. In about 650 BC, the varieties of the kouroi became life-sized. During the Archaic period, a great time of change, the Greeks were evolving new forms of government, expressions of art, and a greater comprehension of people and cultures outside Greece. During this time and other durations of historic tumultuousness, clashes often occurred, including battles fought amongst city-states such as the Arcadian wars and the Spartan invasion of Samos.

Water-lifting System by Camillo Agrippa

Water-lifting System by Camillo Agrippa Though the device created by Agrippa for moving water earned the esteem of Andrea Bacci in 1588, it seemed to fade not very long after. It could be that in 1592 when Rome’s most recent aqueduct, the Acqua Felice, set about supplying the Villa Medici, there was no longer a great deal use for the device. This is all the more heartbreaking bearing in mind how amazing Camillo Agrippa’s technology was, completely unique in Italy during the centuries which transpired between the downfall of ancient Rome and the current period. There might have been other spectacular water-related works in Renaissance landscapes in the later part of the sixteenth century, such as fountains that played tunes, water caprices (or giochi d’acqua) and also scenographic water demonstrations, but nothing was powered by water that defied gravity.