This easily-digested Slice of History will heighten your appreciation of the fountains of Rome when you come across them -- whether intentionally or totally unexpectedly -- as you explore the Eternal City. Knowing something about their background story will open your eyes to them in a whole new way.
This Slice of History takes a look at the development of Rome’s water distribution system and how it influenced the city's expansion from the mid-15th through 17th centuries. It also considers the technical and aesthetic design issues that Renaisssance and Baroque hydraulic engineers and fountain architects had to consider to succeed in their work.
And succeed in their work they did! It is an amazing fact that the distribution system that was put in place during the Renaissance is still very much in use today – still helping to feed fountains, large and small, throughout the Eternal City.
Most of the fountains you’ll encounter in the historic heart of the city were installed between the mid-1400s and the mid-1600s, although the exuberant, ever-popular Trevi Fountain was unveiled only in 1762. This Slice of History includes a list of Renaissance and Baroque fountains in Rome, with their locations, and dates of construction and restoration.
Among other things, you'll learn about:
•How fountain designers learned to make water behave in different ways;
•The difference between a mostra fountain and a nasone;
•Who Sextus Julius Frontinus was and what his great accomplishments were as curator aquarum (Water Commissioner) at the turn of the 2nd century;
•Who said, “When the well is dry, we know the worth of water”;
•The impact Humanism had on fountain design; and
•The two basic design components found in every fountain.
Some of Rome’s fountains are theatrical, monumental and glorious, while others are charmingly subtle. All are delightful and worth pausing to enjoy.
The technical and stylistic variations are boundless … and with this Slice of History under your belt you'll better appreciate the different effects achieved by the structure, the artistic detail, and the flow of water.
A self-directed tour of the fountains of Rome can be fascinating and fun for adults and kids alike. This Slice of History is a great way to get started!
This Slice of History takes a look at the development of Rome’s water distribution system and how it influenced the city's expansion from the mid-15th through 17th centuries. It also considers the technical and aesthetic design issues that Renaisssance and Baroque hydraulic engineers and fountain architects had to consider to succeed in their work.
And succeed in their work they did! It is an amazing fact that the distribution system that was put in place during the Renaissance is still very much in use today – still helping to feed fountains, large and small, throughout the Eternal City.
Most of the fountains you’ll encounter in the historic heart of the city were installed between the mid-1400s and the mid-1600s, although the exuberant, ever-popular Trevi Fountain was unveiled only in 1762. This Slice of History includes a list of Renaissance and Baroque fountains in Rome, with their locations, and dates of construction and restoration.
Among other things, you'll learn about:
•How fountain designers learned to make water behave in different ways;
•The difference between a mostra fountain and a nasone;
•Who Sextus Julius Frontinus was and what his great accomplishments were as curator aquarum (Water Commissioner) at the turn of the 2nd century;
•Who said, “When the well is dry, we know the worth of water”;
•The impact Humanism had on fountain design; and
•The two basic design components found in every fountain.
Some of Rome’s fountains are theatrical, monumental and glorious, while others are charmingly subtle. All are delightful and worth pausing to enjoy.
The technical and stylistic variations are boundless … and with this Slice of History under your belt you'll better appreciate the different effects achieved by the structure, the artistic detail, and the flow of water.
A self-directed tour of the fountains of Rome can be fascinating and fun for adults and kids alike. This Slice of History is a great way to get started!
