Water Fountain Builders Through History
Water Fountain Builders Through History Frequently working as architects, sculptors, artists, engineers and cultivated scholars, all in one, fountain creators were multi-talented individuals from the 16th to the later part of the 18th century. Leonardo da Vinci as a innovative intellect, inventor and scientific virtuoso exemplified this Renaissance creator. He carefully registered his examinations in his now celebrated notebooks about his studies into the forces of nature and the attributes and motion of water. Combining creativity with hydraulic and horticultural expertise, early Italian water fountain engineers transformed private villa settings into brilliant water displays full with symbolic implications and natural elegance. The splendors in Tivoli were developed by the humanist Pirro Ligorio, who was celebrated for his skill in archeology, engineering and garden design. For the various properties in the vicinity of Florence, other water fountain engineers were well versed in humanist subject areas and ancient scientific texts, masterminding the phenomenal water marbles, water features and water jokes.Where did Large Outdoor Fountains Come From?
Where did Large Outdoor Fountains Come From? A water fountain is an architectural piece that pours water into a basin or jets it high into the air in order to provide drinking water, as well as for decorative purposes.The primary purpose of a fountain was originally strictly functional.
Cities, towns and villages made use of nearby aqueducts or springs to provide 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 higher than the fountain so that gravity could make the water flow down or jet high into the air. Fountains were an excellent source of water, and also served to decorate living areas and celebrate the designer. Roman fountains often depicted images of animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks. To replicate the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages introduced fountains to their designs. Fountains played a considerable role in the Gardens of Versailles, all part of French King Louis XIV’s desire to exercise his power over nature. To mark the entryway of the restored Roman aqueducts, the Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries commissioned the construction of baroque style fountains in the spot where the aqueducts entered the city of Rome
The end of the 19th century saw the increase in usage of indoor plumbing to provide drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to purely decorative elements. Gravity was substituted by mechanical pumps in order to enable fountains to bring in clean water and allow for beautiful water displays.
Contemporary fountains are used to adorn public spaces, honor individuals or events, and enhance recreational and entertainment events.
The Origins of Modern Wall Fountains
The Origins of Modern Wall Fountains Pope Nicholas V, himself a learned man, reigned the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 to 1455 during which time he commissioned many translations of ancient classic Greek documents into Latin. In order to make Rome deserving of being the capital of the Christian world, the Pope decided to enhance the beauty of the city. In 1453 the Pope commissioned 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 space previously filled with a wall fountain crafted by Leon Battista Albert, an architect commissioned by the Pope. The water which eventually furnished the Trevi Fountain as well as the acclaimed baroque fountains in the Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona came from the modified aqueduct which he had renovated.