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The word fountain comes from the Latin "fons," meaning spring. In ancient Europe, natural springs were believed to be the abodes of gods and spirits and so were holy grounds. Even today these ancient natural springs are thought to have healing powers and may be the goal of religious pilgrimage. Because these springs or fountains were venerated, the grounds around them were made into early gardens. Stone water basins would be created to catch the spring water. A roofed structure might be created to cover the spring or fountain so that debris would not contaminate the sacred waters of the fountain.
Later fountains became more varied, urban and secular, losing most of their religious association. These urban fountains may have been at the location of natural springs, but as the cities developed around them, the fountain would be built into a wall as a niche or have elaborate basins built to catch the water and sculpture to indicate the resident god or spirit of the fountain. The fountain might have a flight of marble steps, down which the water cascaded into a garden pool. Simple fountains might be a pedestal with a basin out of which a single jet of water flowed from the center.
Later Italian gardens of the Renaissance displayed water in many forms. Water was manipulated to shoot upward in powerful jets; rush down waterfalls and steps, and lay quietly in mirror-like reflecting pools. Later the great French landscape architect, Andre le Notre, would elaborate these earlier designs on a grand scale at Versailles and other locations.
Today, fountains range from simple jets rising from small pools or issuing from walls to grand pools with multiple jets of water. Water needs to be employed very simply in small gardens, but at larger scales multiple jets of water and light can create a fireworks of water.
In the United States fountains have been built to rival the great fountains of Europe and the small garden fountains of England. Modern designs have often relied more on the manipulation of water than on sculptured basins and figures in the ancient manner.
