The Source of Modern Fountains
The Source of Modern Fountains Himself a learned man, Pope Nicholas V led 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. Embellishing Rome and making it the worthy capital of the Christian world was at the heart of his ambitions. Reconstruction of the Acqua Vergine, a ruined Roman aqueduct which had transported fresh drinking water into the city from eight miles away, began in 1453 at the behest of the Pope. Building a mostra, an imposing commemorative fountain built by ancient Romans to memorialize the entry point of an aqueduct, was a tradition revived by Nicholas V. The present-day site of the Trevi Fountain was formerly occupied by a wall fountain commissioned by the Pope and constructed by the architect Leon Battista Alberti.
Modifications and extensions, included in the repaired aqueduct, eventually provided the Trevi Fountain and the well-known baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona with the necessary water supply.
Contemporary Garden Decor: Garden Fountains and their Beginnings
Contemporary Garden Decor: Garden Fountains and their Beginnings The incredible architecture of a fountain allows it to provide clean water or shoot water high into air for dramatic effect and it can also serve as an excellent design feature to complete your home.
From the beginning, outdoor fountains were simply meant to serve as functional elements. Cities, towns and villages made use of nearby aqueducts or springs to supply them with potable water as well as water where they could bathe or wash. Up to the late 19th century, water fountains had to be near an aqueduct or reservoir and more elevated than the fountain so that gravity could make the water move down or jet high into the air. Fountains were not only utilized as a water source for drinking water, but also to adorn homes and celebrate the designer who created it. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often utilized 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. King Louis XIV of France wanted to illustrate his dominion over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. The Romans of the 17th and 18th centuries manufactured baroque decorative fountains to glorify the Popes who commissioned them as well as to mark the spot where the restored Roman aqueducts entered the city.
Indoor plumbing became the main source of water by the end of the 19th century thereby restricting urban fountains to mere decorative elements. The creation of special water effects and the recycling of water were two things made possible by replacing gravity with mechanical pumps.
Modern fountains are used to adorn public spaces, honor individuals or events, and enrich recreational and entertainment events.
Early Water Supply Solutions in The City Of Rome
Early Water Supply Solutions in The City Of Rome
Rome’s 1st elevated aqueduct, Aqua Anio Vetus, was built in 273 BC; prior to that, inhabitants living at higher elevations had to rely on local springs for their water. Outside of these aqueducts and springs, wells and rainwater-collecting cisterns were the sole technologies readily available at the time to supply water to locations of high elevation. To provide water to Pincian Hill in the early 16th century, they utilized the new process of redirecting the flow from the Acqua Vergine aqueduct’s underground network. Spanning the length of the aqueduct’s network were pozzi, or manholes, that gave access. Though they were primarily manufactured to make it possible to support the aqueduct, Cardinal Marcello Crescenzi started out using the manholes to accumulate water from the channel, opening when he obtained the property in 1543. The cistern he had made to gather rainwater wasn’t sufficient to meet his water specifications. To provide himself with a more streamlined way to obtain water, he had one of the manholes exposed, offering him access to the aqueduct below his residence.
The Vast Array of Outdoor Fountains
The Vast Array of Outdoor Fountains
Make your dream a reality by creating an haven of tranquility in your garden. Add a feeling of peace to your garden with an outdoor fountain and profit from all the positive benefits of a water feature. The magnificence of a spouting fountain can be seen when it sends a stream of shooting water into the air. If your pond is sufficiently big, it can be incorporated without trouble. Parks and historical stately homes often have one these water features.
Select a fashionable wall fountain to put outdoors. Even with a small backyard, it is possible to add one of these water features. Wall fountains leave an understated impression, contrary to the big impact produced by spouting fountains. In a very simple process, the water flows out of a spout, trickles down a beautifully textured wall only to be pumped back to the top.
Themed fountains are ideal when the style of your garden allows for them. A cherub holding a spout is one of the possible types of classical-styled statues you can use if you want your fountain to fit a rustically themed cottage or garden. Modern-day gardens, on the other hand, benefit from something more audacious. Let your creativity run free to decide on the best option.
Tiered fountains are unique because the water flows down multiple levels. Cascading fountains is another term used to identify this type of fountain because water moves down multiple levels.
Since outdoor fountains occupy ample space, think about putting in a wall fountain or a pondless fountain. These types of fountains are suitable for an area with limited space because their reservoirs are concealed underground.
Include a Japanese fountain if you are looking for a sense of peace. In this model of water feature the water passes through bamboo sticks. Water then flows into a recipient or a shaped stone, only to repeat the pattern over and over again.
One of the many designs of fountain available is the glass fountain. Trellis-style fountains of this kind, highlight shaped metalwork which provides a more conventional look. Gardens with a lot of sharp edges as well as contemporary forms and designs are better for these types of water features. The flowing water creates a beautiful effect as it moves down the glass sheets. LED lights are also used in some fountains to flash color across the water as it flows down on the glass sheet. Often made of fake rock, rock waterfall fountains have water slowly trickling down its surface.
Bubbling rock fountains are big stones drilled with holes which are then filled with tubes in the middle. In this sort of fountain, water is pushed upwards at low pressure to cause it to bubble and gurgle at the top. The water returns gently trickling down the sides of the rock to get to its starting point. Little gardens are perfect for this kind of fountain. To ensure that water is not sprayed around if it begins to get windy, this kind of fountain is the best option since it only uses low pressure to move water.
Powered by sunlight, solar fountains are growing to be increasingly trendy. There are numerous reasons for this newly found appeal such as the absence of cables, less difficulty in running them, a reduction in electricity bills, and the advantages to the environment. There is no need to choose a specific model of outdoor solar-powered fountain because of the wide range of styles available on the market.
A Smaller Garden Area? You Can Have a Water Fountain too!
A Smaller Garden Area? You Can Have a Water Fountain too!
Since water makes a reflection, smaller spaces will appear bigger. Augmenting the reflective attributes of a fountain or water feature are possible by using dark materials. If your intention is to highlight your new feature at night, underwater lights in various colors and shapes will do the trick. Benefit from the sun’s rays by using eco-lights during the day and underwater lighting fixtures during the night. Alleviating stress and anxiety with their relaxing sounds are some of the uses in nature medicine. Water just blends into the greenery in your backyard. Your pond, artificial waterway, or fountain is the perfect feature to draw people’s attention. The versatility of water features is that they can be set up in large backyards as well as in small verandas. Considerably modifying the ambience is possible by locating it in the most suitable place and include the finest accompaniments.