French
DeutschFountains are structures that blend artistic elements of architecture and sculpture with mechanical engineering and technology to improve on the natural beauty of falling or spraying water to create an ornamental work of aesthetic beauty. Many cities and parks around the world have spectacular fountains, often incorporating ground-breaking engineering.
Iconic fountains around the world include the Trevi Fountain in Rome, the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas and the towering Jet d'Eau in Geneva. Each remarkable in its own right and each an icon of its city.
Understand
[edit | edit source]Destinations
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Asia
[edit | edit source]- 1 Dayan Pagoda, Xi'an. More than 1,000 jets in a visually stunning light and water show, with musical accompaniment.
- 2 Fountain of Wealth, Singapore. Listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest fountain in the world.
Europe
[edit | edit source]- 3 Fountain of Neptune, Florence. Completed in 1570, Florence's iconic fountain features Neptune, god of the sea, with a bevy of satyrs and mythological sea creatures. The fountain is in the Piazza della Signoria.
- 4 Jet d'Eau, Geneva. The Jet d'Eau began life as a hydraulic pressure relief system for a hydroelectric power plant, but even when technology changes rendered the fountain obsolete, it was re-engineered with pumps so the 150-meter high spray could continue to delight locals and visitors
- 5 Trevi Fountain, Rome. Trevi Fountain dates back to the Roman Empire and is the terminus of the Virgo Aqueduct. The design of the fountain is the result of a competition organized by Pope Leo XII in 1732. Many stories and myths surround the fountain, the most perilous being that if one throws several coins into the fountain they will soon be married. Don't let that happen to youǃ
- The Piazza di Navona in Rome is home to three famous ornamental public fountains the 6 Fountain of Neptune at the northern end, the 7 Fountain of the Four Rivers in the middle and the 8 Fountain of the Moor at the southern end.
- 9 Manneken Pis (Little Pissing Man) (Brussels). Belgium's most famous sculpture is a 500-year-old bronze statue of a boy taking a whizz. Hey, it's true! Wikivoyage wouldn't make this stuff up!
- The Paseo del Prado in Madrid is home to two famous ornamental fountains, the 10 Fountain of Cyble, one of the city's most beloved landmarks, and the 11 Fountain of Neptune.
- 12 Palace of Versailles (Château de Versailles) (Versailles). Perhaps the most famous palace fountains in the world.
- 13 Peterhof Grand Palace (Большой Петергофский дворец) (Peterhof). Russia's answer to Versailles, built for Peter the Great, and best known for its Grand Cascade and Samson Fountain on the north side.
- 14 Schönbrunn Palace (Schloss Schönbrunn) (Vienna/Hietzing). The summer home of the Habsburg emperors, with several ornate fountains on the palace grounds: the pair of Parade Court Fountains, as well as the Neptune Fountain, pair of Naiad Fountains and the Obelisk Fountain in the palace gardens.
Oceania
[edit | edit source]- 15 Archibald Fountain, Sydney/City Centre. Sydney's most famous fountain is located in Hyde Park. Completed in 1932, it was named after J. F. Archibald, a magazine editor who had donated money to build it. The centre of the fountain has a statue of the Greek god Apollo, while the basin has six tortoise status spouting out water, as well as sculptures of Artemis, Theseus and Pan.
- 16 Hochgurtel Fountain, Melbourne/Inner north. Located in the Calton Gardens surrounding the Royal Exhibition Building, and also known as the Exhibition Fountain, it was designed for the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition the by the German artistJoseph Hochgurtel.
- 17 Alexandra Fountain, Bendigo. One of the cities most famous landmarks, widely considered to be the second most ornate public fountain in the state of Victoria after Melbourne's Hochgurtel Fountain.
North America
[edit | edit source]- 18 Bellagio Fountains, Las Vegas. Bellagio Fountains is an elaborately engineered fountain with more than 1,200 jet nozzles and almost 5,000 lights creating an elaborately choreographed illusion of dancing water spouts, to the delight of hundreds of tourists who gather along the Las Vegas Strip to witness the spectacle.
- 19 Buckingham Fountain, Chicago/Loop. Named after art collector Clarence Buckingham, who died in 1913, its construction was financed by his sister and completed in 1927. Its design is a Rococo wedding cake style, inspired by the Latona Fountain of the Palace of Versailles.
- 20 Bethesda Fountain, Manhattan/Central Park. New York City's most iconic fountain is named after the location where Jesus healed a disabled man in the Gospel of John. The center of the fountain features a statue of an angel, nicknamed "Angel of the Waters".
- 21 Berczy Park Dog Fountain, Toronto/Downtown East. Located in the heart of Old Toronto, this is a relatively new fountain, only completed in 2017, but it is without a doubt a unique one, featuring 27 cast iron dogs spouting water and looking up at a bone in the centre. Also part of the fountain is a statue of a cat, which is not looking at the dogs but at two bird sculptures on a nearby lamp post.
- 22 Tisch Fountain (Washington Square Fountain), Washington Square Park, Manhattan/Greenwich Village. No-one really calls this the Tisch Fountain and everyone knows it as the fountain in Washington Square Park. It's a big circular fountain that produces rainbows from the right angle and is a focus of activity whenever it's on, but especially during the warmer months.