Unique Did You Know? a Bit of Water Fountain History for You

In the 21st century, we take water fountains for granted. We see them everywhere-- in homes, yards, patios, individual offices, office buildings, hotel lobbies, and public parks. This proliferation of indoor & outdoor water fountains is a fairly recent phenomenon, attributable to the advent of electric pumps. They have allowed us to put indoor and outdoor water fountains in areas that used to be unthinkable, because it is no longer necessary to have a natural source of water to keep a fountain operating nicely. For the most part we get as much water as we want from municipal water systems, and small pumps, instead of natural movement of springs and streams, circulate the water in contemporary fountains.

This, of course, has not always been the case. Ancient Romans constructed elaborate systems of aqueducts that would transport water from the mountains in Northern Italy to the populated areas of the country. This gravity-propelled water supply was for the use of all citizens. In areas where a well or similar source was not available, water fountains were commonly built in public places so that everyone could get the water they needed for their drinking, cooking & cleaning. The popular Roman Public Baths were supplied via the same method. Personal indoor water fountains were available to upper class families who could afford to tap into the water system, and they were usually both decorative and functional additions to the home and garden/ courtyard. This indoor supply often extended into individual rooms in the home so that a steady supply of running water was conveniently at hand. So, the early indoor water fountains were both functional and aesthetic in nature.

Of course, some fountains were more elaborate than others, both indoors and out. The wealthy commissioned sculptors to design their indoor water fountains, and hired artisans to build them. Municipally funded fountains in the larger public squares were likewise commissioned and were often large & spectacularly designed pieces that glorified the deities of water, historical events that involved water, and water itself. From these early beginnings in ancient Rome, a unique water fountain relationship with the local citizenry developed and has continued over the centuries until today. Rome, which is home to more than 265 working fountains, is considered to be the Water Fountain Capital of the western world. Many of these fountains are quite familiar to us, and I will address some of them in future articles.

I hope we all can appreciate that, today, when we encounter a fountain in a public park, workplace or a private home, the history behind it goes back thousands of years. You'll notice that the designs of these structures are very often greatly influenced by Roman themes, and that ancient classical and mythology-based fountains still fit nicely into contemporary settings.

By the way, many civilizations that preceded the Roman Empire, as well as those that arose after its fall contributed to the history and historical presence of fountains, but those are tales for another day.