A Brief History of the Early Public Garden Fountains
A Brief History of the Early Public Garden Fountains Water fountains were initially practical in function, used to convey water from canals or creeks to towns and villages, providing the residents with clean water to drink, wash, and prepare food with. A supply of water higher in elevation than the fountain was needed to pressurize the flow and send water spraying from the fountain's nozzle, a technology without equal until the later part of the 19th century. Fountains all through history have been created as memorials, impressing hometown citizens and tourists alike. When you enjoy a fountain today, that is not what the very first water fountains looked like. Crafted for drinking water and ceremonial functions, the 1st fountains were basic carved stone basins. The oldest stone basins are suspected to be from about 2000 B.C.. The jet of water emerging from small spouts was pushed by gravity, the sole power source creators had in those days. Drinking water was delivered by public fountains, long before fountains became elaborate public statues, as attractive as they are functional. The Romans began constructing decorative fountains in 6 BC, most of which were metallic or stone masks of wildlife and mythological heroes. The people of Rome had an elaborate system of aqueducts that provided the water for the numerous fountains that were situated throughout the city.
The Origins Of Fountains
The Origins Of Fountains A fountain, an amazing piece of engineering, not only supplies drinking water as it pours into a basin, it can also launch water high into the air for a noteworthy effect. Originally, fountains only served a functional purpose. People in cities, towns and villages received their drinking water, as well as water to bathe and wash, via aqueducts or springs nearby. Until the late nineteenth, century most water fountains operated using the force of gravity to allow water to flow or jet into the air, therefore, they needed a supply of water such as a reservoir or aqueduct located higher than the fountain. Acting as an element of adornment and celebration, fountains also provided clean, fresh drinking water. Roman fountains usually depicted images of animals or heroes made of metal or stone masks. 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 superiority 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 key source of water by the end of the 19th century thereby limiting urban fountains to mere decorative elements. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity enabled fountains to provide recycled water into living spaces as well as create unique water effects.
Nowadays, fountains decorate public spaces and are used to honor individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.