Triton Fountain Of Rome

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b>Triton Fountain History

Travertine was the natural
and Construction            rock material utilized by
His patron Pope Urban VII       Bernini. The water fountain
granted Gian Lorenzo Bernini the      design includes a circular pool
commission for the execution of       of water representing the ocean.
this famous water fountain in         The history behind the design is
1642. Bernini was the greatest        King Neptune has calmed the ocean
sculptor of the Baroque period.       before he summons Triton. Four
His inspiration for the water         highly detailed dolphin
fountain was to be a triumphant       sculptures with open mouths rise
passage concerning Triton, from       from the ocean and tangle their
Ovid’s Metamorphoses book.            tails upward. As a tribute to his
Placement would be outside the        patron, Bernini carved a
Piazza Barberini, which was the       pictogram of papal insignia and
Urban’s family palace.

coat of arms is intertwined in

This was to be Bernini’s first     the tails. Suspended on the
water fountain design and      dolphin tails is a giant oyster
would provide a practical as well     shell, which holds Triton. Learn
as esthetic purpose. Following a      more about the Triton Fountain of
spectacular salute to the             Rome and others by visiting
completion of the restoration of      http://www.garden-fountains.com/f
Acqua Felice aqueduct, the            ountains-of-rome/roman-water-foun
fountain would be used to provide     tains-home.htm.

the aqueduct water to the people.

Bernini designed the fountain
Bernini designed the fountain in      with an oversized, muscular,
1643. It was to be his final          wet-bearded Triton, the minor sea
major composition commissioned by     god of Greco-Roman legend, and is
Urban.

depicted as a merman with a great

Fountain Design and Visual scaly tail. Triton is kneeling
Specifics

within the open oyster shell. He

throws back his head to quench        body of Triton prior to splashing
his thirst with the stream of         onto the enormous shell on which
water falling from a shell held       the god is positioned. The excess
to his lips.

water percolates over the edges

The actual passage from            of the shell and downward into
metamorphoses has Triton blowing      the pool below making this one of
into the shell to sound a retreat     Bernini’s most classic Roman
to the waters of the flood. This      fountain designs. Get more
passage is beautifully symbolized     decorating ideas incorporating a
through the use of water, its         fountain with your decor at
power and force in this stunning      http://www.garden-fountains.comwater fountain. And thus, the         p>
flood recedes and the world

Triton Water Fountain
returns.

Trivia

The Water Fountain

The Triton fountain is the
Configuration

earliest metropolitan

Bernini used the course the        demonstration of an element that
water followed to express power       was commonly used in private
and passion. The water takes          gardens and villas. Previously, a
several paths before ending its       civic Roman fountain was a public
journey into the circular pool        receptacle for water. The water
below. To accomplish this he          fountain was used as a municipal
designed the water take a number      mortuary where bodies of the
of courses prior to ending its        unknown dead were left on
journey into the spherical pool       exhibit. A town crier would ask
underneath. First the water           the people to come and identify
bursts from a jet high above a        the bodies. This practice ceased
shell tipped to quench the thirst     by beginning of the 19th century.
of the sea god. The water             The jet of water issuing from the
overflows the shell and onto the      summit of the water

fountain used to shoot Garden-Fountains.com, a premier
considerably higher than it does water feature web site where you
today.

     can find a beautiful collection
About the                          of indoor and outdoor Authorid="authorbio"                        .com">wall fountains,
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eth Jean is a writer, gardening       statuary.